One technical challenge for electric cars at Pikes Peak is the requirement that they can be charged up cleanly and quickly in 20 minutes. VW’s answer was to use special generators fuelled by glycerol, which combusts with virtually no harmful exhaust fumes. VW Motorsport, which built the car is just 250 days, says it is the most innovative and complex car it has ever developed.
“Today, we saw what this technology is capable of,” said VW technical chief Dr Frank Welsch. “That the Volkswagen ID R Pikes Peak has set the fastest time at the hillclimb whose history spans more than 100 years speaks volumes for electric mobility.”
It is the fourth time that Romain Dumas has claimed overall victory at the iconic “Race to the Clouds” hillclimb, which has been held 96 times since 1916. The driver said after his record run: “The ID R Pikes Peak is the most impressive car I have ever driven in competition. Awesome.”
Here’s hoping the VW ID showroom cars are just as awesome…