As Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), and Electric Vehicles (EV) continue to gain acceptance as a viable alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, it is clear that HEVs will need light, compact, high-powered, high-capacity batteries to power their needs. Similarly, Lithium-ion batteries are gaining acceptance as a power alternative to Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries. Compact Power and LG Chem twice used this technology with their ER2 and ER3 Lithium-ion Electric Race cars (ER2 and ER3) to set records in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs and the second oldest motorsports event in the United States. The PPIHC is run on a 12-mile course that begins at 9,200 feet and finishes at the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak. The ER3 ran the course faster than many of the fuel-powered cars. Some of the competitor's engines simply quit working in the sparse air at 14,000 feet near the finish line. Since the ER3 uses Compact Power/LG Chem Li-Ion batteries for power, it was completely unaffected by the altitude, a major advantage in this race.
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