Nürburgring record-holding EV specially adapted for hillclimb glory
By John Silcox on June 13, 2012 3:53 PM
Toyota Motorsports (TMG) will showcase the power of its plug-in technology by racing a new electric vehicle at the infamous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb next month.
Based on the road-legal TMG EV POO1 car that set an unbeaten electric lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife last year, the TMG EV POO2 has been specially adapted for the grueling hillclimb event and features an updated electric powertrain that’s said to be more powerful and durable than its predecessor.
The car, to be driven by the multiple Japanese rally champion Fumio Nutahahra, is built on the same chassis from Radical sportscars, however this time its powertrain produces a combined maximum power of 350kW from its two EVO Electrics axial flux motors.
The Pikes Peak challenger actually isn’t as outright fast as its Nürburgring cousin, but top speed isn’t the main priority of the event. The TMG EV POO2 has been configured to deliver a maximum amount of torque at altitude, seeing as the event begins at a height of 2,800m and its summit is past the 4,300m mark.
“Toyota Motosport wants to be increasingly involved in electric motorsport,” commented Ludwig Zeller, Toyota Motorsport’s general manager of Electric & Electronics. “We believe our powertrain technology is an industry-leading combination of performance, durability and packaging. Through projects like this one, we are laying the foundations for the future of high-performance and motorsport cars.”
Take a look at the TMG EV P002 preparing for its 8 July Pikes Peak challenge in the video below: