October 8, 2012

Toyota Motorsport sets new electric record with EV P002 on the Nürburgring [w/video]




Toyota Motorsport and its EV P002 reset the record for the fastest lap by an electric vehicle around Germany's Nürburgring circuit.

Driver Jochen Krumbach took the 469-horsepower EV around that track in seven minutes and 22.329 seconds. That's a whopping 25 seconds faster than the record Toyota set in August 2011. The EV P002 still has the same top speed – about 161 miles per hour and is powered by a 42-kWh battery – it was just piloted faster this time around. If you want to tag along, go below for an eight-minute video of the fast and relatively quiet ride.

In June, the 375-horsepower Audi R8 E-Tron set a world record for fastest lap around Nürburgring by a series production electric car, completing the lap in eight minutes and 9.099 seconds.