At last year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Toyota claimed the title in the electric car division and sixth place overall. This year the automaker is doing everything it takes to return and defend its title with an enhanced P002 EV race car. As competition gets more intense, Toyota is making its model even more powerful than before.
In order to properly prepare, Toyota brought its P002 to Salisbury, North Carolina where its Racing Development facility is located. While there, engineers will perform extensive testing to properly adjust its chassis to make it more aerodynamic. This will of course will take some trial and error and track testing to ensure that it is in perfect racing condition.
Where will the race car get all its power from? A 42-killowatt lithium-ion battery pack located in the rear of the vehicle will be sending the power to the electric motor. To increase the powertrain's ability to tackle the Pikes Peak incline, the electric motor's speed and torque were given an extra boost as well. It can now reach a top speed of 143 miles per hour. Not too shabby for an electric vehicle.
On June 30th, Rod Millen will be hopping in the driver's seat of the P002 at the starting line. Millen is well known at Pikes Peak for holding records from previous races, so here at Reno Toyota we have a good feeling about the outcome of this race.
Be sure to continue following our blog so we can keep you updated on the results as well as any other exciting Toyota news that arises. Until then, we encourage you to visit our showroom conveniently located in Reno, NV so you can check out our new Toyota lineup. We'd be happy to schedule you for a test drive or answer any questions you may have!
