Pikes Peak Return for Upgraded TMG EV P002

COLOGNE, Germany (May 6, 2013) – TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has sent a revised TMG EV P002 to Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to defend its electric title.

Based on data gained from last year's record-breaking run of 10 minutes 15.380 seconds, engineers at TMG's electric vehicle technology centre have generated more performance from the TMG powertrain to further improve that mark.

The TMG EV P002 is already the benchmark for electric race cars worldwide, having demonstrated true performance and versatility in establishing the current electric records at Pikes Peak and Nürburgring Nordschleife. The car is currently on its way to Salisbury, N.C., where TOYOTA Racing Development U.S.A. Inc. (TRD USA) will perform aerodynamic upgrades to the Radical-based chassis as well as track testing.

On June 30, just one week after TMG's TOYOTA Racing team takes on the Le Mans 24 Hours with a hybrid 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 more than 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 19.99 kilometer Pikes Peak track, based on experience gained during last year's class victory.

TMG support crew will further optimize the powertrain during the practice week prior to race day, while 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 42 kilowatt lithium ion battery, which can be charged directly from the AC power grid. After an overnight charge, the TMG DC Quick 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:

'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. 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 where infrastructure limitations will increasingly become a source of frustration for electric motorsport. 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.'

TMG EV P002 Technical Specifications

Performance

Top Speed 230 km/h

Maximum Torque 1200Nm

Maximum Power 400kW

Maximum Revs 6000rpm

Powertrain

Electric Motor 2 axial flux

Inverter 2 x TMG inverters

Gear Ratio 2.5

Transmission Single-reduction gearing

Battery Lithium ceramic

Battery Capacity 42 kWh

Charging Technology Off-board DC charging

Dimensions

Length 4.10m

Height 1.04m

Width 1.79m

TMG DC Quick Charger Specifications

AC Grid Connection / Input

Grid Connection 400 V AC CEE 16 A

Nominal input power 6.6kW

DC Vehicle Connection

Output voltage 400 VDC

Maximum DC output power 25kW

Storage

Battery 42 kWh, lithium ion

General

Technology partner Schneider Electric (EVlink™)

Operating temperature 0 to 40°C

Storage temperature -30 to 60°C

Protection Short-circuit protection, output fuse, over-current and over-voltage protection, under-voltage shutdown

by TMG

RAIN DAMPENS TMG EV P002 RECORD BID

Colorado, United States of America - TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) was denied a realistic chance of improving its electric record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb due to bad weather in Colorado.

The TMG EV P002 race car was part of a close battle in the electric class during the practice sessions but hopes of another record-breaking run were dashed.

Heavy rain delayed the electric class and left the 19.99km (12.42mile) track very slippery, preventing the drivers matching their practice speeds when the action finally got underway.

The TMG EV P002, with Rod Millen at the wheel, battled the tricky conditions using intermediate tyres and completed its run in 10minutes 24.301seconds to finish fourth in the class.

Nobuhiro Tajima won the electric class with a new record of 9mins 46.530secs while second to fourth places in the class were covered by less than three seconds.

The TMG EV P002 finished 16th overall in a field of 143 entrants after another trouble-free run for TMG's electric powertrain, which was upgraded for this year's event to deliver 400kW (536hp) of power and 1200Nm (885lb per foot) of torque.

Rod Millen: 'There was a chance that if weather had not played a role like it did we would have seen an electric car in the top-three overall results and that would have been really impressive. We were lined up, or certainly one of the electric cars was lined up, to do that. This technology is moving very quickly and for me to be part of all that was a real thrill. To me it was a group of people that were very passionate and enthusiastic working with this new EV technology and I thoroughly enjoyed working with them. This technology is moving very fast and improving very fast and these guys are certainly on the pace.'

Claudia Brasse, TMG Executive Coordinator Strategic EV Development: 'It's frustrating that the rain meant we couldn't see the full potential of the TMG EV P002 at Pikes Peak, but that's motorsport. The practice times were incredibly close so we were expecting an exciting competition, and the TMG EV P002 was looking good to challenge for the title. We were happy with the upgrades we made on the electric powertrain from last year and this contributed to a significant lap time improvement in practice. We were looking forward to showing this also in the race itself, when it was realistic to beat the 10-minute barrier, but unfortunately the weather had different ideas.'

About TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH:

TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has been based in Cologne, Germany since 1979 and built its reputation in the World Rally Championship, winning four drivers' and three manufacturers' title during a long participation which ended in 1999. TMG was also the home of TOYOTA's works Le Mans 24 Hours (1998-1999) and Formula 1 (2002-2009) teams, both of whom achieved pole and podium positions, and a tuning and sports conversion subsidiary (established in 1994). Since 2007, TMG has been a pioneering centre of development for motorsport-related electric vehicle technology and for alternative powertrain and infrastructure integration in general. TMG has already concluded several electric vehicle projects for external clients and is the proud record holder for electric vehicles at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. www.toyota-motorsport.com.

by TMG