There are a great many races on my bucket list, among them the annual Race to the Clouds at Pikes Peak. For whatever reason, the Pikes Peak race has drawn a lot of entries in the alternative fuel vehicle category. Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima has raced Pikes Peak many times, and last year he set a new world record, becoming the first driver to break the 10-minute barrier.
This year Tajima is bringing an all new electric ride to conquer the Peak again, and break his own record. It would not be the first electric vehicle on the Peak, nor would it be the first purpose-built electric racer set to conquer the clouds. But Tajima clearly wants to push the barrier and preserve his record-setting run with another record setting run in an all-electric vehicle.
We have no details; just this Jetsons-like drawing of a futuristic racer that we assume will bear some resemblence to Tajima’s actual ride. Perhaps Tajima, who rocked a gas-powered twin-turbo V6 (heavily modified) SuzukiSX4 to break last year’s record, realizes that electric vehicles have an inherent advantage over combustion engines. That advantage is simple; electric motors don’t need much air, which is in short supply at higher elevations, drastically affecting the power output of conventional vehicles.
An electric car will suffer no such power loss. With enough power, EV’s should, in theory, dominate the sport of hill-climbing. Will Tajima start an electric race car revolution? This writer certainly hopes so.
Source: Gas2.0
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