The hills are alive with the sound of... well, very little, if this year's Pikes Peak hill climb will be anything to go by.

Electric cars are no stranger to the hill, with Nissan entering a Leaf and Summit Motorsports setting a new electric car record in last year's event.

Mitsubishi announced last month that an electric prototype would be racing up the hill this year, piloted by Dakar legend Hiroshi Masuoka--and now the company has revealed a stock Mitsubishi i will be driven up the hill by Beccy Gordon.

Gordon, sister of Robby Gordon and husband to IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, is a race-winner in the SCORE International off-road series, and the perfect driver to tackle the hill in Mitsubishi's electric baby.

"I am very excited to be part of this challenge and also to drive a 100% electric-powered car since this type of vehicle will likely play a major role in both our daily transportation and motorsports in the future," explained Gordon.

While Beccy Gordon's Mitsubishi will be essentially stock, based on the 2012 Mitsubishi i electric car, Masuoka's vehicle will be quite different.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Prototype for 2012 Pikes Peak Int'l Hill Climb

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Prototype for 2012 Pikes Peak Int'l Hill Climb

The prototype will use an enhanced electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack and braking system, and from the sketches revealed last month, appears to be a single-seat vehicle with only hints of the road car's styling.

Mitsubishi Motors will be recording and analyzing data from both cars in the event to further the development of the company's road-going electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids.

This year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb "Race to the clouds" will take place on July 8.

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