Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that its racing team, Team Yokohama, in only its second year, turned in the best performance for an EV at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The team referred to the race as the "Team Yokohama EV Challenge," and its time of 13:17.57 was about 1:15 faster than the EV record of 14:33.10. The race was staged on Sunday, June 27, in the state Colorado, U.S.A.

Team Yokohama participated with an original EV racing car powered by lithium-ion batteries from Sanyo Electric and an AC induction motor from American AC Propulsion. The car was fitted with prototype next-generation tires from Yokohama designed to demonstrate stability on any kind of road surface, with additional environmental benefits, and was driven by Mr. Ikuo Hanawa, a skilled performer in world-class off-road racing. The car performed beautifully from start to finish, and Yokohama's tires afforded stable running over a combination of tarmac and gravel surfaces.

Run this year for the 88th time, 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 climb about 20 kilometers, starting at the 2,862-meter level. Competition is based on time.