24h Le Mans
Two months after beating the record for an electric car at Pikes Peak (10m15s ; here), the Toyota EV P002 marked its return to Germany with a new record at the Nürburgring : 7:22.329, 25 seconds faster than 14 months ago (7m47s in August 2011 ; here).
Now capable of performances comparable to a Nissan GT-R, the car can also has a new concept for fast charging its battery ... The official statement did not specify the time required for the operation, and its range (at least the 22 km length of the Nürburgring).
Performance comparable with LM P2, satisfactory range and quick recharge; by combining these three parameters, Toyota may soon claim the 56th pit at the Le Mans 24 Hours, reserved for new technologies.
Ludwig Zeller, Toyota Motorsport GmbH electric and electronics general manager : "Since our Nürburgring record last year, we have developed our electric powertrain to deliver more power, more consistently, over a longer distance by managing the temperature of batteries, motors and inverter. Pikes Peak was a clear illustration of the improvements and we have now reinforced that at the Nürburgring. But this achievement is not only about on-track performance; we are also very proud of the DC Quick Charger which again provided a reliable power supply in a remote location. This is an aspect of electric motorsport which has not been discussed at length but it is very significant; electric race cars need to be charged and it is a challenge to have the right infrastructure at race tracks, particularly temporary street circuits. Together with our partners at Schneider Electric, we have developed a solution to charge a race car literally anywhere in the world. This, along with the TMG EV P002 powertrain, represents a major step forward for electric motorsport.”
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La Toyota EV P002 at Nürburgring. battery technology provided by Schneider Electric.
Video : NURBUGRING (GERMANY), TOYOTA TMG EV P001, 30 SEPTEMBRE 2012. On board Toyota EV P002 with driver Jochen Krumbach.
