Integral Powertrain wins Dewar Trophy for Pikes Peak electric motors

Earlier this year, the all-electric vehicle broke the outright record on the famous Colorado hill climb, clocking a time of 7min 57.148sec through the 156-corner, 19.99km course. Central to that effort were the twin Integral motors that powered each axle, helping the I.D. R accelerate out of bends at a phenomenal rate. While previous cars to tackle the mountain have carried greater straight-line speed, the I.D. R can accelerate from 0-100kmh in 2.25 seconds, making it ideal for the winding route.

Furthermore, combustion engine vehicles suffer as the track climbs through the clouds, with the thinning air causing a drop-off in performance. The summit of the mountain sits at 4,302m, but the lack of oxygen causes no problems for electric vehicles. Speaking at a press event ahead of the trophy presentation, Integral’s Jason King explained this was the key factor that prompted VW to consider an EV for the record attempt.