Rhys Millen Sets New EV Record at Pikes Peak
Rhys Millen is sitting on top of the world after the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Competing in this year’s event in a one-megawatt electric vehicle called the eO PP03 developed in Latvia, Millen claimed first place overall with a time of 9:07.222, setting a new record for electric vehicles.
The race car, which produces the equivalent of 1,367 hp, uses a 50-kWh lithium-ion battery pack to power six electric motors. Millen actually believes that there’s more in the car and was disappointed that he didn’t finish in the eight-minute range. It is being reported that while running near the end of the course, the eO PP03 lost power to its rear motors, but even those mechanical problems didn’t stop Millen from crossing the finish line quickest.
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Second place went to another electric vehicle and Pikes Peak veteran, with Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima powering his 1.1-megawatt (1,475 hp) Team APEV Rimac E-Runner Concept_One with a time of 9:32.401. Yes, Millen finished the race over 25 seconds quicker than Tajima. Third place went to Paul Dallenbach competing in the Open Wheel class with a time of 9:36.496.
Millen’s win also marks the first time in the race’s 93-year history that an EV has set an overall winning time over regular engine race cars, proving that it’s only a matter of time that EVs start dominating Pikes Peak since the high altitude doesn’t result in a performance loss.
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[Video Source: TFLCar]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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