Last month, Nobuhiro �Monster� Tajima broke his own record at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with a sub 10 minutes time in a 910-horsepower modified Suzuki SX4 racecar. Now, Nissan�s first all-electric car, the LEAF, has tackled the 156 turns of the �Race to the Clouds�. Naturally, �Monster� Tajima can rest assured that his record remains safe.That�s not to say that the LEAF driven by Chad Hord didn�t record a respectable time. After all, 14 minutes and 33 seconds with an average speed of 51.2 mph (82.4 km/h) is not to be laughed at for an EV that used just 46% of its charge to cover the demanding 12.42 miles (20 km) hill climb. Watch the LEAF climb the Pikes Peak after the jump.
The battle for supremacy in the electric car category has begun �even though at present there are only two prime contestants. According to Bloomberg, the Nissan LEAF sold 3,875 cars the first half of the year, compared to 2,745 of GM�s Volt over the same period. From January through May, the Volt was only 17 cars behind the Leaf, but in the following month, sales of the Volt plunged to just 561 cars, while those of the LEAF took off with a record 1,708 units, giving Nissan�s EV the lead. The LEAF costs $33,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit, while the Volt costs $41,000 before government incentives.
Without doubt, one of the highlights of this year�s edition of the famous Goodwood hill climb will be Nissan�s participation. And no, we�re not talking about the Sumo Power GT team�s GT1 race-winning Nissan GT-R, but for the Juke small crossover and the Leaf EV. You see, the Japanese company has set its sights on claiming two special records at the Goodwood Festival of Speed that takes place in Britain on 1-3 July with the aforementioned models.
