On Sunday, 26th June 2011, at the 89th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an electric racecar sponsored by Yokohama Tyres set a new EV record. The racecar powered by AC Propulsion broke its own 2010 record. The new record made by Japan’s Ikuo Hanawa is 12:20:084, almost one minute less than the previous one. The machine made by Summit Motorsports uses fuel-efficient Yokohama BluEarth tyres and Sanyo lithium ion batteries. The electric engine generates 268 horsepower (200KW) and 258 lb ft of torque from zero to 5000 rpm. It is a high performance version of the ACP AC 150 motor, found in the BMW MINI E. The company calls the technology “tzero,” which can be used from city buses to cars.
The engineers of ACP created an efficient cooling system for the induction motor of the vehicle, so that it could operate the race with maximum power and break all the previous records. A high performance cooling system was a necessity for its heavy 200kW induction motor. According to the company, anything from city buses to cars can use “tzero” technology that is in this machine.
In recent years Pikes Peak International Climb has become a famous race for car and bike manufacturers, who tout their results in advertising campaigns. It also provides a platform for emerging technologies like electric power. The race is 12.42 miles long with around 160 turns and begins at 9,390 feet and finish at the 14, 110-foot summit. Also known as the race to the clouds, it is famous for difficult conditions including thin air, changing temperature, and variety of paved and unpaved roads.
Via. Evworld
