San Diego, CA – June 28, 2011 – SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO) announces that the EV racing car powered by SANYO Lithium-ion battery system has hit an all-time record for electric vehicles (EV) for the second consecutive year at the hill-climbing motor sports race, “2011 PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB”, held in Colorado, USA on June 26.
At the race, the EV racing car owned by “Team Yokohama EV Challenge”, a team from The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (Yokohama Rubber), participated in the “Electric” class, and finished in 12 minutes 20.084 seconds to beat last year’s all-time EV record of 13 minutes 17 seconds.
“PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB”, the best-known hill climb race in the world, is an annual event held at the 14,110-foot (4,301-meter) “Pikes Peak” mountain in Colorado. This 2011 event marked the 89th hill climb. The race is known for the severity of its conditions, which includes rapidly changing temperatures and weather. Participants race over a 20-kilometer course, beginning at the 9,390-feet (2,862-meter) level to finish at the 14,110-foot (4,301-meter) summit.
Yokohama Rubber has been participating in the race since 2009, with the aim to harmonize the pleasure of driving with the environment and to promote research and development for EV tires. They have used a SANYO lithium-ion battery system for their electric motors for each entry, achieving a new, all-time record for electric vehicles last year. This record was beaten by the team this year.
To power the EV, the battery system used combines 6,656 of SANYO’s 18650-size cylindrical lithium-ion batteries (Diameter: 0.7inch (18mm) x Height: 2.5inch (65mm)), typically used for consumer equipment such as laptop battery packs. The 18650-size cells offer the expected performance, and because they are readily available, only a short period of development for use with EV systems is required.
SANYO aims to contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society by increasing the use of lithium-ion batteries.
Yokohama Rubber website:
http://www.yrc.co.jp/english/index.html
SANYO’s Lithium-ion Battery System
Number of batteries: 6,656 cylindrical li-ion batteries
Rating: 385V-96Ah
Total energy: Approx. 37kWh
About SANYO
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is a global, leading provider of energy, environment and lifestyle applications. SANYO offers a broad range of products and services including rechargeable batteries, photovoltaic systems, biomedical equipment, HVAC/R systems, digital imaging devices, home appliances, electronic components and others. For further information, please visit SANYO's web site at http://sanyo.com/.
For Press Inquiries:
Aaron Fowles
SANYO North America Corporation
Phone: 619-661-4151
Email: afowles@sna.sanyo.com
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