Pikes Peak return for upgraded TMG EV P002

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has confirmed it will take on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb again in 2013, defending its electric car title.

Based on data gained from last year’s record-breaking run of 10mins 15.380secs, engineers at TMG’s electric vehicle technology centre have generated more performance from the TMG powertrain.

The TMG EV P002 is already the benchmark for electric race cars worldwide, having established the current electric records at Pikes Peak and Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The car is currently on its way to Salisbury, North Carolina, where Toyota Racing Development USA Inc. (TRD USA) will perform aerodynamic upgrades to the Radical-based chassis as well as track testing.

On 30 June, just one week after TMG’s Toyota Racing team takes on the Le Mans 24 Hours with the TS030 Hybrid Le Mans prototype, Rod Millen will drive the TMG EV P002 at Pikes Peak.

As a multiple record setter at Pikes Peak and regular competitor in Toyota machinery, the 61-year-old New Zealander is highly experienced and will benefit from various improvements to the high-tech racer.

TMG has recent experience of delivering performance upgrades specific to a given track, having used data from its 2011 Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record to improve by over 25 seconds a year later.

Motor speed and torque have been increased, while the powertrain’s operating parameters have been tuned to better suit the challenge of the unique 19.99km Pikes Peak track, based on experience gained during last year’s class victory. TMG support crew will further optimise the powertrain during the practice week prior to race day, using experience gained from last year to assist their TRD USA colleagues in running the car.

Once again TMG is using its pioneering off-board battery-to-battery charging technology, including Schneider Electric EVlink™ DC Charger, to charge the TMG EV P002 from the mountainside, where there is no reliable connection to the power grid.

Mounted in the rear of a Toyota Hiace, the TMG DC Quick Charger includes a 42kWh lithium ion battery, which can be charged directly from the AC power grid. After an overnight charge, the charger is able to quickly deliver high levels of power to a battery-based electric car without additional installation or infrastructure.

With varying current and voltage output, the TMG DC Quick Charger becomes an independent source of power for rapid recharging in any location, making it the perfect solution for electric motorsport.

Claudia Brasse, TMG Executive Coordinator Strategic EV Development, said: “We are very excited to return to Pikes Peak alongside our Toyota colleagues from the United States. 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.

“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.

“We have a flexible solution which can be adapted for different types of race and passenger car. We look forward to again demonstrating both aspects of our EV technology at Pikes Peak.”