California-based EV maker Rivian Automotive sent its R1T electric truck to take part in the 102nd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb presented by Gran Turismo on Sunday alongside Ford Motor Co.’s Supertruck based on its F-150 Lightning and other EVs to receive stellar results.
What Happened: Gardner Nichols raced a Quad-Motor Gen 2 R1T to the top of the hill and touched the finish line in 10:53.883, 30 seconds faster than the record set by him last year. The EV truck also bagged the record for the fastest production truck to ever summit the course in Colorado, USA.
“Loved being at Pikes Peak today. Amazing job to Gardner and the team. Also Gardner's race suit is pure magic,” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Ford, too, sent an electric super truck to the competition, based on its F-150 Lightning but improvised for better aerodynamics among other design changes. The truck, driven by Romain Dumas, completed the climb race in 8:53.553, making it the fastest vehicle to complete the competition.
However, while Ford raced its truck in the “Pikes Peak Open” division, which allows for major modifications to engines, transmission, and suspension, Rivian raced its R1T in the “Exhibition” division for prototype or preproduction vehicles.
Foreign EVs Make A Mark: Other electric vehicles to be part of the competition are the IONIQ 5 N TA (Time Attack) and IONIQ 5 N from South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. One of the IONIQ 5 N TA to be part of the competition completed the race in 9:30.852, putting it third overall among the participants of the race, also known as The Race to the Clouds.
Why It Matters: The success of EVs in the race to the summit of Pikes Peak serves as a testament to their capability as compared to gas-powered vehicles. In addition to the supertruck, Ford’s 2017 Mustang, 2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302S, 2017 Ford Mustang GT, and 2013 Ford Open also took part in the race in different divisions, only to lag behind their EV counterparts.
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Photo courtesy: Ford
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