Volkswagen unveils electric beast to tackle Pikes Peak
German auto giant Volkswagen has created a brand new electric supercar in an attempt to break a speed record on Pikes Peak, an iconic hill climb in the Rocky Mountains.
The I.D. R Pikes Peak features two electric engines that generate a system capacity of 500 kW, capable of taking the vehicle from 0-100 km/h in 2.25 seconds. That power will be put to the test on the infamous Pikes Peak route, a 19.99km ascent that features 156 turns and climbs almost 1.5km to the summit of the Colorado mountain. According to VW, the goal is to claim the record for electric vehicles, which currently stands at 8:57.118 minutes. It is also hoped that lessons from the venture can be applied across Volkswagen’s electric I.D. range.
"The Pikes Peak hill climb is one of the world’s most renowned car races,” said VW board member for development, Dr Frank Welsch. “It poses an enormous challenge and is therefore excellently suited to proving the capabilities of upcoming technologies."
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