OREANDA-NEWS. August 31, 2012.  The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that its electric vehicle (EV) racing car equipped with "ADVAN A048" - participating for the first time - won the EV class and finished 6th overall in the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, in a time of 10:15.380. Another vehicle participating in the EV class - running on Yokohama’s new fuel-efficient "BluEarth-A" - marked its best time ever of 11:58.974. The final races were staged in the state of Colorado, U.S.A. on August 12, having been postponed due to forest fires in the state.

 The victorious team was the "Show Aikawa World Rally Team," led by Mr. Show Aikawa. Its car, the EV "TMG EV P002," was developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH and was driven by Mr. Fumio Nutahara. Yokohama Rubber supplied its "ADVAN A048," with improved performance on various surfaces including circuit, gymkhana course and other. "Team Yokohama EV Challenge," taking part for the fourth time with its original EV racing car fitted with the new fuel-efficient "BluEarth-A" bettered by more than 21 seconds its own time of last year, then an all-time EV record (12:20.084). Mr. Ikuo Hanawa drove the car this year, too.

 Yokohama Rubber participated in the competition this year with two vehicles - one fitted with the ADVAN tires and one with the BluEarth tires. On a severe course with 156 turns and rapidly changing temperatures and weather, against prototype machines from various automobile manufacturers and famous teams and drivers, both Yokohama tires demonstrated their outstanding characteristics and performance.

 The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is also called the "Race to the Clouds." Racing to the 4,301-meter summit, participants cover a 20-kilometer course beginning at the 2,862-meter level. Marking its 90th year, the Pikes Peak hill climb has the second longest history in the United States, after the Indianapolis 500.