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Yokohama Returns to Pikes Peak With Eco Tires

The Yokohama Tire Corporation announced it will supply ADVAN ENV-R2 orange oil-infused race tires for a vehicle racing in the new Electric Vehicle Class of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.On June 27, Yokohama tires will once again be on an electric buggy that uses Sanyo batteries and a new AC propulsion engine.

Last year the Yokohama-sponsored EV buggy with Japanese driver Ikuo Hanawa behind the wheel used Geolandar tires and placed second in its class, at a 13s distance from the EV world record.

Yokohama is the only tire company to have perfected this science,” said Mark Chung, Yokohama director, corporate strategy and planning. “The ENV-R2, the world’s only environmentally-friendly race tire, is campaigned on Porsche 911 GT3 cars in two sports cars series, including an endurance race.

The Pikes Peak race is a different beast, but we feel the ENV-R2 will handle the hill quite well. And the fact that the orange oil tires are on an electric race vehicle is perfect for Yokohama. It certainly fits our longstanding commitment to innovation, technology and the environment,” the executive added.

This year Hanawa is back piloting the new EV Sports Concept HER-02 buggy which will use ENV-R2 tires, which cut petroleum use in the manufacturing process by 20 percent by using sustainable resources like orange oil and natural rubber.

"The orange oil technology developed by Yokohama’s motorsports division is part of the company’s overall global environmental strategy. The proprietary technology, which combines orange oil with natural rubber to form a new compound called “Super Nano-Power Rubber,” is used in race tires and Yokohama’s dB Super E-specTM, an everyday passenger car tire that debuted in July 2009,” stated the press release.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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