The 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb showcased the impressive performance of electric vehicles (EVs), with several setting new records during the weekend’s races.
The grueling race, which spans from 9,390 feet to 14,110 feet, saw Romain Dumas driving a modified Ford F-150 Lightning, dubbed a “Supertruck,” to victory with a record-breaking time of 8:53.553. This achievement placed Dumas ahead of the 2024 Wolf Aurobay GB08 2.0 HP, which trailed by approximately 11 seconds.
Among the notable EV entries was the Hyundai Ioniq 5N TA spec, driven by Dani Sordo, who secured third place with a time of 9:30:852. Additionally, Gardner Nichols, the sole racer in his division from Colorado, drove a wrapped Rivian R1T, completing the race in 10:53.883, surpassing his own record from the previous year for the top unmodified production truck, regardless of powertrain.
The event also marked a milestone as the first time an EV served as the race’s pace car, with an Acura ZDX fulfilling this role.
In a press release from Ford, Dumas expressed his excitement about the event, stating, “After a successful 2023 climb, I’m thrilled to be behind the wheel again with this team and to help push the limits of what an electric vehicle can achieve on the turns of this legendary course. In testing, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck has surpassed my expectations, so we are hoping for some good weather to try and do something very special.”
