Eva Hakansson may be the only woman in the world to build her own electric motorcycle. She is certainly the first one to climb Pikes Peak in Colorado on one. Her A123 Systems-powered Electrocat also established the benchmark record for the famed Hill Climb, recently making the 12-mile (20km), 5,000 feet (1,600m) ascent in under 17-minutes. It is a record that is not likely to stand for long as competition in the electric motorcycle world begins to heat up. Expect the same fierce competitors now engaged in track racing in the TTXGP circuit for electric cycles to begin to challenge the Electrocat's record.
But in the meantime, the petite little blonde from Sweden is pleased to have her home-made machine establish the record. The climb on June 27th, wasn't the first time Electrocat has been to the top of Pikes Peak. Hakansson, who is married to Bill Dube, the owner of the world's quickest vehicle, the zero-to-sixty-in-under-one-second Killacycle, made the same climb in late May 2010 in order to demonstrate to race officials that an electric motorcycle could actually complete the twisting, paved and gravel road course with its 156 curves. That trip, she estimates, took a cautious 45 minutes. Having injured her wrist the week before the June 27th run, Hakansson had to turn over the bike to Pike's Peak veteran John Scollon, who promised an under-17 minute run, crossing the official finish line at the top in 16:55:849.
