If you’ve not heard of Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima then you probably don’t follow the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event, held each year at Pikes Peak in Colorado.
Fans of the sport, which involves over 12 miles of twists and turns and a climb of over 4,700 feet, will recognise Monster as a two-time record-setter on the hill, and the first to break the “10 minute barrier” up the treacherous course, and reigning champion for the last six years.
Only this year, Tajima will be swapping race fuel for amps and volts, as he attempts to beat his own course record in an electric race car.
As part of Team APEV (‘Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles’), Tajima aims to set a new world record up the course, not only beating the internal combustion stranglehold on the sport, but hugely raising the profile of electric vehicles in motorsport.
It won’t be the first time an EV has raced up Pikes Peak, though. Previous years have seen Nissan attempt the course in a stock Nissan Leaf, and Summit Motorsports has twice sent a dedicated electric race car up the hill. Mitsubishi will also be fielding a highly-modified i-MiEV race car this year.
Monster Tajima’s run will also help promote APEV’s other activities, such as environmental projects and supporting victims of 2011’s Japanese earthquake and Tsunami disaster.
You can find more information on the Team APEV Pikes Peak EV Challenge on the team’s Facebook page.
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