Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website All time record: Volkswagen makes history with the I.D. R Pikes Peak
june 25, 2018 - Volkswagen

All time record: Volkswagen makes history with the I.D. R Pikes Peak

Volkswagen and the #idrpikespeak have made history at the #pikespeak International Hill Climb. Driving the 500-kW (680 PS) #idrpikespeak, Romain Dumas (F) defeated a field including cars with conventional drivetrain technology. In doing so, he not only broke the previous #record for electric vehicles, but also bettered Sébastien Loeb’s (F) all-time #record from 2013 – by a full 16 seconds. Dumas’ new #record of 7m 57.148s minutes is now top of the list of #pikespeak champions, which includes such acclaimed drivers as Loeb, Walter Röhrl (D), Michèle Mouton (F), Stig Blomqvist (S), Nobuhiro Tajima (J) and also Rod Millen and his son Rhys (both NZ).

 

“The #idrpikespeak is the sporty forerunner of Volkswagen’s I.D. family. Today, we saw what this technology is capable of”, said Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the #Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for “Technical Development”. “Every #Volkswagen employee can be extremely proud of today’s result. I congratulate the team from the bottom of my heart. With a combination of outstanding engineering skills, passion and commitment, the team has managed to create a fantastic #racing car in just eight months. The #Volkswagen #idrpikespeak has now set the fastest time in the history of this hill climb, which spans more than 100 years – that speaks volumes for electric mobility.”
 

19.99 kilometres, 156 corners, just one attempt – and a successful one: Romain Dumas claimed his fourth overall victory at the iconic #pikespeak International Hill Climb, which has now been held 96 times since 1916. With the #idrpikespeak, #Volkswagen has created an extraordinary #racing car, specifically tailored to the demands of the most famous of hill climbs: a combination of minimum weight, as much downforce as possible, and maximum power, designed to achieve the best possible performance. Including its battery cells, the #idrpikespeak weighs less than 1,100 kilograms. When evaluating performance, #Volkswagen employed simulation software to calculate exactly how to achieve the optimum in energy demand and performance for the #record attempt on #pikespeak. In the matter of aerodynamics, the key was to compensate for the loss of downforce caused by the thin air on #pikespeak. The result of this endeavour could be seen from afar: the flat, streamlined chassis and huge rear wing.

Volkswagen also struck out in a new direction when it came to charging technology – the goal being to charge the car as quickly as possible with minimum environmental impact. The time was defined by the regulations: In case of the race being suspended, it must be possible to completely charge the car in under 20 minutes. The electricity required was provided by generators at the foot of #pikespeak. Glycerol, which in chemical terms is a sugar alcohol, was selected as the fuel. A by-product of the manufacture of biodiesel, for example, Glycerol combusts with virtually no harmful exhaust fumes or residues. Glycerol itself is non-toxic and is even permitted as an additive in the food and cosmetics industries.

A mere 250 days passed between the announcement and the start of the #pikespeak project on 18 October 2017 and the record-breaking run on #pikespeak on 24 June 2018. This was an extremely sporty remit for the development of a thoroughbred prototype, including innovative fully-electric drive technology, specific demands on the batteries, aerodynamics and chassis. This effort and the tireless work of the #Volkswagen mechanics, engineers and many more employees in Wolfsburg, at the motorsport headquarters in Hannover and, last but not least, during the weeks of preparation in Colorado Springs, has now been rewarded with a new #record on #pikespeak.

Volkswagen has had some strong partners on its side for the #record attempt on #pikespeak, in the form of #Volkswagen R, ANSYS, Michelin, Integral e-drive and OMP. With #Volkswagen R, the #idrpikespeak received a sporting seal of approval from the outset, which it more than earned on its record-breaking run, if not before. ANSYS also made a vital contribution to the success of the project by providing support with the software simulations. Another key factor was tyre maker Michelin’s years of experience on #pikespeak, which allowed them to provide tyre technology perfectly tailored to the demands of the hill climb. The I.D. R Pikes Peak’s E-engines, which together generated 500 kW (680 PS), were achieved in collaboration with partner Integral e-drive. OMP put the icing on the cake – for example, with the featherweight #racing overall for Romain Dumas, which perfectly complemented the lightweight design philosophy of the #idrpikespeak.

Reactions from the #pikespeak International Hill Climb

Romain Dumas (F), #Volkswagen #idrpikespeak #94
“Awesome! We exceeded even our own high expectations with that result. Since this week’s tests, we have known that it was possible to break the all-time #record. For it to come off, everything had to come together perfectly – from the technology to the driver. And the weather had to play ball too. That everything ran so smoothly is an incredible feeling, and the new #record on #pikespeak is the icing on the cake. I still cannot believe that #Volkswagen and my name are behind this incredible time. The #idrpikespeak is the most impressive car I have ever driven in competition. The electric drivetrain means that many things are different and I learned a lot during the project. The team did an indescribably meticulous, yet at the same time relaxed, job. Not only did we get the desired result, but the team spirit was also spot on. I am incredibly proud to have been a part of it.”

Sven Smeets, #Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“This is a fantastic day for #Volkswagen and one, of which we are very proud. The #idrpikespeak is the most innovative and complex car ever developed by #Volkswagen Motorsport. Every employee involved in the #pikespeak project has constantly had to push their boundaries and show extreme commitment and dedication. Without this, it would not have been possible to repeatedly overcome new challenges and come up with new solutions. It should actually be impossible to achieve all that and especially the all-time #record in such a short time, but our team pulled it off thanks to their passion and commitment. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on the project and showed such fantastic team spirit.”

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