Remember the unmodified Nissan Leaf that dared to take on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb? No, it didn’t win the electric vehicle class, but it did have the honor of playing second fiddle to a new paladin. By pairing the motor they used to set last year’s EV record with a new high-performance cooling system, Team Yokohama managed to shave nearly a minute off of their previous record-setting time, completing the course in 12 minutes and 20 seconds. The Leaf ? It leisurely drifted through the finish line at 14 minutes, 33 seconds. Not the quickest way to the top, but let’s be fair — if it’s a choice between being comfortable or being king of the hill, we’ll stretch our legs, thanks. Yokohama EV sets new Pikes Peak Hill Climb record, leaves Leaf blowing in the wind originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink