With 156 turns and 1,438m of elevation gain over 20km, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been gathering some of the fastest cars on the planet since 1916 to demonstrate both driver skill and the power-to-weight of their machines.

Hyundai first competed in the PPIHC way back in 1992 when Rod Millen won the 2WD Showroom Stock Division with a time of 13:21.17 in an Scoupe. Twenty years later, Rhys Millen would set a course record of 9:46.164 with a Genesis Coupe.

This year’s edition saw Hyundai enter four Ioniq 5 Ns for the Electric Modified and Production SUV/Crossover categories. While one car assigned to Paul Dallenbach did not start due to injuries sustained during a practice run, the other three Ioniq 5 Ns successfully completed the course, with one winning the exhibition class.

Driven by Hyundai World Rally driver Dani Sordo, an Ioniq 5 N TA (Time Attack) Spec won the latter with a time of 9:30.852, followed by another TA Spec driven by Randy Pobst with a time of 9:55.551.

Sordo’s time was also good enough to clinch third overall, bested only by Christian Merli in the Unlimited class with a time of 9:04.454, and Romain Dumas in the Pikes Peak Open division with a time of 8:53.553.

The Ioniq 5 N Time Attack Spec is slightly modified from a production-spec model with software tuning to maximize motor output (37hp more than stock), along with new shock absorbers, motorsport-spec brakes, and slick 18-inch Yokohama Advan A005 tires.

Meanwhile, the production model driven by Ron Zaras, a PPIHC rookie and automotive media personality, finished with an impressive time of 10:49.267.

“We are absolutely thrilled to set a new record at Pikes Peak and our performance overall,” said Till Wartenberg, vice president and head of N Brand and Motorsport at Hyundai Motor Company. “Going forward, we plan to continue leveraging exciting motorsports activities such as Pikes Peak to showcase the superior performance of our mass-produced vehicles and continue to develop technology that not only meets customer needs but exceeds their expectations.”

“This year’s Pikes Peak result is a culmination of a dream dreamt by so many people behind the scenes at Hyundai N,” added Joon Park, vice president and head of N Brand Management Group. “We put all our best minds together to create a type of high-performance EV that didn’t exist before, and today we confirm that this technology can be competitive even in the toughest hill-climb race in the world.”

With high-performance EVs regularly smoking conventional ICE-powered cars and gaining in popularity these days, we may be seeing a new age of electrified motorsports.