Nissan Leaf entered in 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, can feel free to just coast back down again Nissan Leaf will face this summer, all 110 horsepower dedicated to hitting the summit in a time

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There are many, many tests of automotive performance throughout the average calendar year, yet the Pikes Peak Hill Climb stands out as one of America's most historic and most brutal. Oh, and most pucker-inducing, what with the general lack of guardrails and corner edges bounded by nothing but thousands of feet of free-fall -- then rocks. This is the challenge that an unmodified Nissan Leaf will face this summer, all 110 horsepower dedicated to hitting the summit in a time that hopefully won't be too embarrassing but surely won't challenge the current EV record of 13 minutes and 17 seconds. Driver Chad Hord will sit behind the wheel when the event gets underway on June 26th, burning nary a drop of gas on the way up and putting on something less of a show than Ari Vatanen did in his (traditionally-powered) Peugeot back in 1990. That rather invigorating performance is embedded below for your viewing pleasure.