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Volkswagen unveils dual-motor 680 hp fully-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak; 0-60 in 2.25s

Ushering in a new era of Volkswagen motorsport, the brand unveiled its fully-electric supercar—the I.D. R Pikes Peak in Alès, France. The supercar will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill climb in Colorado Springs on 24 June 24, seeking to beat the existing electric car record of 8:57.118 minutes in the annual “Race to the Clouds.”

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I.D. R Pikes Peak weighs less than 2,500 lbs and produces 680 hp (507 kW) and 479 lb-ft (649 N·m) of torque, giving it a 0-60 time of 2.25 seconds—faster than even Formula 1 and Formula E cars.

Volkswagen’s goal is to reach the pinnacle of electromobility with the I.D. family. The hill climb on Pikes Peak will definitely be a real acid test for the electric drive. Customers have always benefitted 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 I.D. models.

—Dr. Frank Welsch, Volkswagen Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Development

The top goal when developing the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak was not on maximum performance, as is usually the case with racing cars, but rather to find the ideal balance between energy capacity and weight.

Volkswagen’s prototype for Pikes Peak bears two quality seals in its name. The “R”, which is synonymous with performance cars, and the “I.D.”, the symbol of Volkswagen’s smart E-technology.

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As with the twin-engine Golf that took on the Pikes Peak challenge in 1985, 1986 and 1987, the engineers have opted for a solution with two power units. The I.D. R Pikes Peak features two electric engines, generating a system capacity of 680 hp.

Lithium-ion batteries are used as the energy storage system, similar to production EVs, as their power density is the crucial factor for the system when producing high voltage. Roughly 20% of the electric energy required is generated during the drive, so the key here is energy recovery. When braking, the electric engines act as generators, converting some of the braking energy into electricity and feeding this into the battery.

The Volkswagen’s Pikes Peak program enters a crucial phase with the unveiling of the car in Alès. As testing on the 12.42-mile route of the hill climb in Colorado Springs is very limited, and only possible on certain sections, the bulk of the testing is not done on the actual route, but at racetracks. With the vehicle revealed to the world, testing can commence.

World-class driver and defending Pikes Peak champion, Romain Dumas, will be at the wheel of the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak for the attempt to break the existing record for electric cars. In addition to three prior victories at Pikes Peak, Dumas has also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice.

The Race to the Clouds involves a 4,720 vertical-foot (1,439 meters) climb, 156 corners, and just one single attempt. It is not unheard of for finish-line temperatures at the 14,115-foot (4,302-meter) summit of Pikes Peak to be below freezing at the end of June.

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