OREANDA-NEWS. June 27, 2011. The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced today that its racing team, Team Yokohama, turned in the best performance for an EV in the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The team referred to the race as the "Team Yokohama EV Challenge," and its time of 12:20.084 was 57 seconds faster than the record it established last year. The race was staged on Sunday, June 26, in the state Colorado, U.S.A.

 This time, the team’s original EV racecar was equipped with prototype BluEarth tires - Yokohama’s environmental tire brand. Incorporating various environmental technologies for better fuel-efficient performance, BluEarth tires also deliver high levels of gripping power, enabling stable driving on the course’s difficult combination of tarmac and gravel surfaces. The team used the latest vehicle equipped with lithium-ion batteries from Sanyo Electric and an AC induction motor from AC Propulsion of the United States. It was driven by Mr. Ikuo Hanawa, a skilled performer in world-class off-road racing. Yokohama Rubber has participated in the race for three consecutive years for the purposes of harmonizing driving enjoyment and environmental concern, and advancing its research and development of EV tires.

 Marking its 89th year, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb - also known as the "Race to the Clouds" - is the best-known hill climb in the world. Racing to the 4,301-meter summit, participants cover a 20-kilometer course beginning at the 2,862-meter level.