Volkswagen’s Weapon of Choice for Pikes Peak Revealed: ID R

Volkswagen have set their sights on a Pike’s Peak victory after revealing the prototype that they will pilot throughout the event. The Volkswagen ID R Pikes Peak is an all-electric powered prototype, boasting a total power output of 500kW and 640Nm of torque.

The low, space-age car was built to finish the 20-kilometer route, consisting of its 156-turns,  through the assistance of two electric motors, permanent four-wheel drive and a total mass, including the driver, of “less than” 1100kg. The acceleration of the prototype is rapid thanks to the instant torque, running the 0-100km/h sprint in just 2,25-seconds before reaching its top speed of 242km/h.
The ID R Pikes Peak will spearhead Volkswagen’s electrified ID-range, which will begin launching in 2019. Frank Welsch, Development Chief at VW says that the Hill Climb event will be the “real acid test” for VW’s electric programme. “Customers have always benefited from the findings made in motorsport, and we expect to take these findings and use them as a valuable impetus for the development of future ID models,” said Welsch.

VW says the focus of the ID R Pikes Peak is not on outright performance but on balancing energy capacity and weight. VW says that around 20% of the energy used by the ID R Pikes Peak will be created using energy recovery during braking on the course. A fast charging system will allow the batteries to be charged in around 30 minutes.
Sven Smeets, Motorsport Chief at VW, hinted that the ID R Pikes Peak may be just one of several future electric vehicle projects. “As with the Volkswagen brand’s production vehicles, fully electric racing cars will also play an increasingly important role for us in the future,” he said.
VW will chase the course record of 8-minutes 13.878-seconds set by Sebastien Loeb.