Following its announcement and release of computer generated images, Volkswagen Motorsport has now unveiled its fully electric racing car, the I.D. R Pikes Peak. The all-electric sports car is all set to conquer the Pikes Peak hill climb in Colorado on June 24. Two-time Le Mans winner Romain Dumas will be behind the wheel of the car to attempt the iconic hill climb in less than 9 minutes.
The all-electric sports car weighs less than 1100kg and it is equipped with two electric motors that generate a system capacity of 670.5 horses and 650Nm of peak twist that propel the car to 100kmph in 2.25 seconds, with a top speed of 240kmph. This means that the all-electric sports car boasts of an acceleration figure that is faster than a F1 car and a Formula E car.
The motors are paired to lithium ion batteries that are used for energy storage. Power is sent to all four wheels with active torque distribution. During braking, the electric motors act as generators and convert the braking energy into electricity and supply it to the batteries. The interiors of the car get generous amount of carbon fibre. The car is built around a carbon monocoque chassis with steel roll cage and a safety structure in the front. Suspension duties are managed by double wishbone suspension set-up in the front and rear. The wheelbase of the car is 2850mm, while the track width is 1600mm.
Testing of the car will take place on race tracks rather than the actual route, as testing is very limited on the Pikes Peak route. The 19.99 km, 1440 metre ascent to the Pikes Peak has 156 corners, with the summit perched at 4302 metres above sea level.
On unveiling the electric sports car, Sven Smeets, director of Volkswagen Motorsport said, “As with the Volkswagen brand’s production vehicles, fully-electric racing cars will also play an increasingly important role for us in the future. The cooperation within the group really helped us, particularly given the tight schedule. For example, we received support from the Volkswagen battery plant in Braunschweig and worked together with the technical development department in Wolfsburg.”