This VW electric car could set a new record to the top of Pikes Peak this year
As part of its Dieselgate penance, Volkswagen is mounting an all-out, all-electric assault on Pikes Peak this June 2018. And, on Monday, the German automaker finally gave us our first look at the car it's going to use: the I.D. R.
Unlike an internal combustion engine, an electric motor cares not about partial pressures of oxygen. As long as its batteries are happy, it should make as much power at 14,000 feet as at sea level and all points in between. And with a little over 12 miles to run, endurance isn't an issue. Consequently, the hill climb has become a venue where electric power can take on the internal combustion engine without artificial handicapping.
Pike's Peak is a really challenging uphill race with much of the road not having any guard rails, where there is a lot of sideways oversteer involved, and spectators lining parts of the route (also with no guard rails). The race itself is very demanding but the two additional factors mentioned must make it pretty extreme for the drivers. Now that the road is tarred it does, however, take away some of the dramatic effect of slipping sideways around U-turn gravel bends.
Electric cars have raced here before but it looks like this VW will take EV to new "heights"!
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This electric car could set a new record to the top of Pikes Peak this year A brief history of Pikes Peak and why VW wants to win it so bad. |