Photo: Volkswagen
In 2018, German carmaker Volkswagen made its comeback in one of the world’s most famous hill climb, Pikes Peak, following a 30 years absence from the competition. It was, for all intents and purposes, the best run ever for the Germans up the hill.
The car used for the climb to 4,302 meters was the ID R all-electric. It was chosen as a means to highlight Volkswagen’s plans for an electric future, but it ended up not only setting the record for its category, but beating every other car in the event, regardless of means of propulsion, with a clocked time of 7:57:148 minutes.
With that win in the bag, Volkswagen has already designated its target for this year: the record for fully-electric vehicles on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
The record attempt run will take place this summer, with the same driver that controlled the car at Pikes Peak, Romain Dumas, piloting the ID R once again. Until summer, the company’s engineers are hard at work trying to make it ready for the new challenge.
In essence, the ID R will retain its twin electric engine that develops 680 ps, and will also target the same under 1,100 kg weight – driver included - as before. Some aerodynamic changes will, however, be made, on account of the fact that conditions on the Green Hell are not at all the same as on the Peak.
“As part of our meticulous preparations for the record attempt, we will put the ID. R through an intense test and development programme at various racetracks in the spring,” said in a statement François-Xavier Demaison Volkswagen Motorsport technical director.
The current record on the track for electric vehicles has been set in 2017 by Peter Dumbreck in an NIO EP9 two-seat sports car and stands at 6:45.90 minutes.
To beat this record, Dumas will have to drive the ID R at speed than exceed an average of 185 km/h (115 mph).
With that win in the bag, Volkswagen has already designated its target for this year: the record for fully-electric vehicles on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
The record attempt run will take place this summer, with the same driver that controlled the car at Pikes Peak, Romain Dumas, piloting the ID R once again. Until summer, the company’s engineers are hard at work trying to make it ready for the new challenge.
In essence, the ID R will retain its twin electric engine that develops 680 ps, and will also target the same under 1,100 kg weight – driver included - as before. Some aerodynamic changes will, however, be made, on account of the fact that conditions on the Green Hell are not at all the same as on the Peak.
“As part of our meticulous preparations for the record attempt, we will put the ID. R through an intense test and development programme at various racetracks in the spring,” said in a statement François-Xavier Demaison Volkswagen Motorsport technical director.
The current record on the track for electric vehicles has been set in 2017 by Peter Dumbreck in an NIO EP9 two-seat sports car and stands at 6:45.90 minutes.
To beat this record, Dumas will have to drive the ID R at speed than exceed an average of 185 km/h (115 mph).
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