The SWIGZ.COM Pro Racing team did much more than kick up dirt at the 89th
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (www.ppihc.com)
with its all-electric motorcycle powered by a UQM Technologies, Inc.
(NYSE Amex: UQM) high-performance electric propulsion system.
The
team shocked the Pikes Peak organizers, competitors and motorsports
community with a 2nd place class finish while also setting a
new electric motorcycle record time of 12:50.094. The previous Pikes
Peak electric motorcycle record of 16:55.849 was set in 2010.
"Once again, we congratulate Chip Yates and the SWIGZ.COM Pro Racing
team for exceptional performance with their all-electric superbike,”
said Eric Ridenour, President and Chief Executive Officer of UQM
Technologies. "In this high-elevation venue, Chip’s UQM-powered
superbike demonstrated two key advantages of an all-electric powertrain:
instant torque for great corner exits and the ability to produce the
same power at the 14,110-foot summit as it does at sea level.”
Chip Yates is both the rider and the designer of the SWIGZ.COM Pro
Racing motorcycle. At 240 horsepower, the SWIGZ electric motorcycle is
the most powerful motorcycle ever entered in the Pikes Peak
International Hill Climb.
"This was one of the most exciting and extreme races I’ve competed in,”
said Yates. "The course is 12.42 miles long, has 2.6 miles of dirt, and
is littered with 156 difficult and sometimes highly dangerous turns. The
ability to come out of corners with 400 ft-lbs of torque on tap made a
significant difference in our performance.”
The real story to come out of the weekend is the potential the electric
superbike showed for a top finish next year, when the course should be
fully paved. This year Chip says that he tip-toed a nearly 600-pound
road-racing superbike through 2.6 miles of dirt road, where he lost
significant time to the race leaders. In the first section of the
course, which is paved asphalt, Chip was 9th out of 112
motorcycles and demonstrated knee-dragging superbike racing techniques
to more than 5,000 fans that lined the mountain road.
"The split times from the race show the incredible potential of our
electric superbike when the entire course is paved in time for the 2012
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race,” said Yates. "Once again, we
have put the gas-powered bikes on notice that we can be a serious threat
to the overall results of a premier race event. Next year, with the
pavement on my side, I’ll be looking for a top 10 or better result in
the overall standings.”
Yates and the SWIGZ.COM Pro Racing team have earned considerable
performance achievements with the UQM-powered all-electric superbike.
Highlights include:
-
Pikes Peak Electric Motorcycle Overall Record (beating the previous
record by 4:05.755)
-
Placing 2nd in class in the Pikes Peak International Hill
Climb
-
Being the most powerful motorcycle to ever enter the Pikes Peak race
-
Two podium finishes in the first Gas vs. Electric superbike race in
January 2011
-
Setting a world record for the world’s fastest electric motorcycle
(190.6 mph) during the Mojave Mile Shootout
-
Finishing third place after starting the race on the third row at the
Auto Club Speedway in California in the premier WERA Heavyweight Twins
Superbike category
-
Then finishing second in the WERA Heavyweight Twins Superstock
division of the race
-
Posting the fastest lap of the race at 1:39.792
-
Achieving a top speed of 158 mph during the race, despite having only
six laps of pre-race testing
About Chip Yates
Chip Yates is a professional motorcycle road racer, team owner, and
extreme electric vehicle designer. Since January 2010, Yates has led the
all-American team of Ben Ingram, Robert Ussery and Jimmy Summers to
create, build, and race the a powerful and sophisticated electric
superbike. Yates holds a Master’s Degree in Business from the University
of Southern California. For more information and to request photography
for publication, please visit www.chipyates.com.
About UQM Technologies, Inc.
UQM Technologies is a developer and manufacturer of power-dense,
high-efficiency electric motors, generators and power electronic
controllers for the automotive, aerospace, military and industrial
markets. A major emphasis for UQM is developing products for the
alternative-energy technologies sector, including propulsion systems for
electric, hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell
electric vehicles, under-the-hood power accessories and other vehicle
auxiliaries. UQM headquarters, engineering, product development center
and manufacturing operation are located in Longmont, Colorado.
Please visit www.uqm.com
for more information.
This Release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. These statements appear in a
number of places in this Release and include statements regarding our
plans, beliefs or current expectations, including those plans, beliefs
and expectations of our officers and directors with respect to, among
other things, orders to be received under our supply agreement with CODA
Automotive, our ability to successfully expand our manufacturing
facilities, and the continued growth of the electric-powered vehicle
industry. Important Risk Factors that could cause actual results to
differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements are
contained in our Form 10-K filed June 2, 2011, which is available
through our website at www.uqm.com
or at www.sec.gov
.
