Last year, its TMG EV P002 electric race car finished the 12.42-mile uphill course in 10 minutes, 15:38 seconds, and Toyota hopes to better that time with an improved model.

Toyota Motorsport will be defending its electric title at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which takes place June 30. Last year, its TMG EV P002 electric race car finished the 12.42-mile uphill course in 10 minutes, 15:38 seconds, and Toyota hopes to better that time with an improved model.

The Toyota team has used information from last year’s Pikes Peak and Nürburgring Nordschleife races to hone the e-car to a new level of performance. Twin axial flux electric motors produce a combined 536 hp and 885 lb-ft of torque, for a top speed of 143 mph.

New Zealander and Toyota Racing veteran Rod Millen, who has already set multiple records at Pikes Peak, will be at the wheel.

The 42 kWh lithium-ceramic battery pack is charged by a mobile charging station mounted in a Hiace van, which includes a Schneider Electric EVlink DC Charger and a 42 kWh lithium ion battery that can be charged directly from the AC power grid.

Claudia Brasse, TMG Executive Coordinator Strategic EV Development:

The TMG EV P002 has a perfect history of three records from three attempts, none of which have been beaten, so we have high standards to maintain. The improvements we have made to the powertrain are expected to deliver even higher performance levels, which should again confirm the TMG EV P002 as the standard bearer for electric race cars.

But as well as the electric powertrain itself, we are successfully innovating in the area of charging infrastructure. It is easy to take this for granted when you are working in a well-supplied laboratory or workshop. But motorsport doesn’t always take place in such an environment; you have to deal with varying levels of infrastructure and uncertainty regarding the power grid. The potential for off-board battery-to-battery charging technology is great, particularly in the world of motorsport. We have a flexible solution which can be adapted for different types of race and passenger car.

Sources: Toyota, Automobile