fully-electric VW I.D. R pikes peak car breaks the all-time race record

just 250 days after the announcement and 96 days after showing the official design of the car, the VW I.D. R pikes peak has broken the all-time record for the renowned race. with a time of 7 minutes and 57.148 seconds, the achievement is not only mightily impressive as it beat the previous record by a whopping 16 seconds, but also as it is the first fully-electric vehicle to do so. it showcases the vast capabilities as the brand’s sporty forerunner of the new, electric I.D. family.

all images courtesy of volkswagen

‘the I.D. R pikes peak 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 I.D. R pikes peak 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.‘

the VW I.D. R pikes peak racecar defeated cars with conventional drivetrain technology at the pikes peak international hill climb. at 19.99 km long and with 156 corners, the EV used 680 ps (500 kw) to accelerate it along the course and to victory. as well as the power, the whole design was tailored for the event. this includes a minimum weight of less than 1,100 kg, which includes the battery cell, and as much downforce as possible with a flat, streamlined chassis and huge rear wing.