Toyota Electric-Car For Pikes Peak

Toyota is aiming to improve on last year’s record-breaking run when its updated electric race car tackles next month’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) engineers have generated greater performance from the EV P002 race car which last year smashed the electric-car class record by more than two minutes.

The latest high-tech racer will be driven this year by New Zealander Rod Millen, who has set multiple records at Pikes Peak and has competed regularly in Toyota machinery.

TMG’s electric vehicle technology centre in Germany used data gained from last year’s class-winning run to boost combined maximum power from the car’s two axial flux motors by more than 14 per cent to 400kW.

Peak torque from the advanced electric motors has been amped-up by one-third to a thumping 1,200Nm, delivered through a single-gear transmission.

Maximum motor speed has been uprated by 20 per cent to 6000rpm.

The powertrain’s operating parameters have been tuned to better suit the gruelling challenge of the unique 19.9km Pikes Peak track, which rises more than 1,400 metres and includes 156 turns.

The latest car is on its way to Salisbury, North Carolina, where Toyota Racing Development will sharpen the aerodynamics of the Radical-based chassis before conducting track tests.

TMG support crew will further optimise the powertrain during the practice week leading up to race day, June 30.

Last year, the TMG EV P002 completed the climb in an electric-car record of 10mins, 15.38secs, gaining an impressive sixth place in the overall classification.

Unlike conventional combustion engines, the fully electric drivetrain maintains full power even in the thin mountain air.

The Pikes Peak climb, in Colorado Springs, USA, begins at an altitude of 2,862 metres and finishes at 4,300 metres – all of which is now fully paved.

This year’s hill climb occurs just one week after TMG’s Toyota Racing team takes on the Le Mans 24 Hours with a hybrid prototype.

The TMG EV P002 is already the benchmark for electric race cars worldwide, having demonstrated its performance and versatility by setting new standards at two of the toughest venues in motorsport.

TMG first used a motorsport-tuned electric powertrain in 2011 to set the fastest time for electric cars at the 20.8km Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

After last year’s Pikes Peak triumph, the TMG EV P002 lowered the Nürburgring lap record by 25 seconds to a remarkable 7mins, 22.329secs.

TMG uses pioneering off-board battery-to-battery charging technology, including a Schneider Electric EVlink™ DC Charger, to charge the TMG EV P002 from the mountainside, where there is no reliable connection to the power grid.

Mounted in the rear of a Toyota HiAce, the TMG DC Quick Charger includes a 42kWh lithium-ion battery, which can be charged directly from the AC power grid.

After an overnight charge, the TMG DC Quick Charger is able to quickly deliver high levels of power to a battery-based electric car without additional installation or infrastructure.

With varying current and voltage output, the TMG DC Quick Charger becomes an independent source of power for rapid recharging in any location, making it the perfect solution for electric motorsport.

TMG executive coordinator strategic EV development Claudia Brasse said the innovative charging system could be adapted for different types of race and passenger cars.

“The potential for off-board battery-to-battery charging technology is great, particularly in the world of motorsport where infrastructure limitations will increasingly become a source of frustration for electric motorsport,” Ms Brasse said.

Since 2007, TMG has been a pioneering centre of development for motorsport-related electric vehicle technology and for alternative powertrain and infrastructure integration in general.