VW is gearing up for next year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado with the debut of a new electric race car, which VW hopes will set a new record for electric cars.
The new VW electric race car is being developed by Volkswagen Motorsport in close cooperation with Technical Development in Wolfsburg. VW is using the project as more of a branding exercise to show that it has what it takes to compete in the electric segment.
“The Pikes Peak hill climb is one of the world’s most renowned car races. It poses an enormous challenge and is therefore perfectlly suited to proving the capabilities of upcoming technologies,” explains Dr Frank Welsch, Member of the Board responsible for Development. “Our electric race car will be equipped with innovative battery and drive technology. The extreme stress test posed by Pikes Peak will give us important feedback that will benefit future development, and it will showcase our products and their technologies.”
VW has released a teaser of the new electric race car, but we won’t see it in action until June 24, 2018.
“The race on Pikes Peak is a new beginning for us. We are developing an all-electric race vehicle for the first time,” explains Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. “The project is also an important milestone in our new motorsport orientation. Our team is literally electrified about taking on this incredible challenge.” Volkswagen Motorsport last participated in the Pikes Peak mountain race in 1987 with a spectacular twin-engined Golf which barely missed finishing. “It is high time for a rematch,” continues Smeets.
Source: Volkswagen
