YOKOHAMA/Toyota Motorsport GmbH breaks EV record at Pikes Peak

YOKOHAMA’s partnership with Toyota Motorsport GmbH, at the weekend’s “Pikes Peak” Hill Climb in USA, has proved the superb performance and reliability of the ADVAN A048 tyres with the Japanese driver Fumio Nutahara winning the Electric Vehicle (EV) category and breaking the EV record time.  Using the TMG EV P002 race car, powered by a high-performance TMG electric powertrain, driver Nutahara set a time of 10 minutes 15.380 seconds to set a new record for electric vehicles on the 19.99km track.

The event which took place yesterday in the state of Colorado, after having been postponed earlier this summer as a result of wildfires in the region, saw the highest number of participants in what is regarded as one of the toughest motorsport challenges in the world. Racing to the 4,301-meter summit, participants cover a 20-kilometer course beginning at the 2,862-meter level.  In addition to the twists and turns of the climb, the weather changes rapidly along the way and tests the resilience of the drivers.  Technological advancements and technical prowess must be carefully balanced in order to achieve success.

YOKOHAMA also took part in the event through its “Team Yokohama EV Challenge" and its unique EV racing car, equipped with BluEarth-A Tyres, a new product in the BluEarth fuel-efficient tyre line incorporating the latest environmental technologies, including orange oil compounding technology. The EV car painted in BluEarth colours was once again driven by Ikuo Hanawa, a skilled, world-class off-road racing driver who on Sunday achieved a meritorious 5th place in the EV Category.

The "Challenge" is just one of YOKOHAMA’s many environmental activities based on the BluEarth concept, which the company seeks to share with the world under the theme "environmentally, human and socially friendly." This has been the fourth year that YOKOHAMA participates in the race. In each of 2010 and 2011, the team accomplished the outstanding achievement of improving the previous all-time record for an EV. By taking on the challenge of the world’s most iconic hill climb race, YOKOHAMA seeks to further the research and development of eco-friendly, fuel efficient tyres, while pushing the boundaries of performance.

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