Kumho tyre supplier to InMotion IM/e

Dutch student race team InMotion has set itself the goal of competing in one of the world’s most prestigious sport events: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. On its way to achieving this ultimate goal, it also intends to break the all-time record on the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife. InMotion is currently operating a test platform, the IM/e, which is testing systems for the hybrid race car that will one day take on these challenges, the 400+ km/h IM01. Kumho Tire has been appointed tyre supplier to the IM/e.

Based on its previous Formula Bio bio-ethanol race car, InMotion’s full-electric IM/e features a powertrain consisting of a pair of high power electric motors that generate a 550bhp. This can propel the 650-kilogramme car from 0 to 100 km/h within three seconds and then on to a top speed of 280 km/h. The IM/e made its debut at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands on the weekend of 3-4 June.

The InMotion team – which is primarily comprised of students from Eindhoven University of Technology and Fontys University of Applied Sciences – set itself the goal of breaking the existing Zandvoort electric car record of 2:04.52 minutes during the circuit’s annual Pinksterraces meeting that weekend. The team managed this impressively: Driver Beitske Visser achieved a lap time of 1:48.371 in the Kumho Ecsta-shod IM/e, thereby shaving almost 16 seconds off the record.

“We are very happy about the partnership with this young team, where it is clear innovations are dared and visions realised,” comments Dirk Rockendorf, Kumho Europe’s marketing director. “These highly motivated Dutchmen are set on demonstrating that electric drive and motorsport can be a perfect match and we are proud to be supporting their plans.”

As mentioned, the IM/e only represents the first stage for InMotion. The planned IM01 will be a 1,100-plus horsepower hybrid sports racing car that the team hopes will break Stefan Bellof’s outright record of 6:11.13 minutes for the 20.8 kilometre Nürburgring Nordschleife, before competing in the Garage 56 class of the Le Mans 24 Hour race – the class reserved for technically innovative vehicles. This racing car of the future is expected to outperform a current F1 car while consuming less than half the amount of fuel.