The Pikes Peak climb has been a tradition of the adventurous for more than a century – 102 years to be exact – out of which 96 times, the ascent has taken place. 19.99 kilometres may not sound much but pack it with 156 corners and a treacherous path, suddenly it becomes clear why legendary names are etched on the achievers list and why it is still a coveted pinnacle to attain. Yesterday, when Romain Dumas of France drove the 500-kW (680 PS) I.D. R Pikes Peak at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 7m 57.148s minutes, he bettered Sébastien Loeb’s (F) all-time record from 2013 – by a full 16 seconds. That’s one hard nut to crack for later contestants – or is it merely a sign of the standards to come in the electric era?
The Pikes Peak champions that Dumas left behind on his way to the top include legends like Sebastien Loeb, Walter Röhrl, Michèle Mouton, Stig Blomqvist, Nobuhiro Tajima and also Rod Millen and his son Rhys.
Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for “Technical Development” congratulated every Volkswagen employee on the result. “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.” For those who aren’t familiar with the Volkswagen I.D. R, it is a prototype electric racing car which is part of Volkswagen’s I.D. Project and falls in the R series of cars designed for motorsport events.
For Romain Dumas, this is the fourth overall victory at the iconic Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which has challenged racers since 1916. The I.D. R Pikes Peak had everything that the most famous of hill climbs demanded: a combination of minimum weight, as much downforce as possible, and maximum power. Including its battery cells, the I.D. R Pikes Peak 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 Pikes Peak. As for the aerodynamics, it was important to compensate for the loss of downforce caused by the thin air on Pikes Peak. The capability quotient of the new electric sports car was evident in the flat, streamlined chassis and huge rear wing.
When it came to charging, the goal was 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 Pikes Peak. 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.
The record comes a mere 250 days since the announcement of the Pikes Peak project on 18 October 2017. The task involved the development of a thoroughbred prototype equipped with a new fully-electric drive technology, as well as specific demands on the batteries, aerodynamics and chassis. Volkswagen has had some strong partners on its side for the record attempt on Pikes Peak. With Volkswagen R, the I.D. R Pikes Peak received a sporting seal of approval. Michelin’s years of experience on Pikes Peak while ANSYS contributed by providing support with the software simulations. The winning car’s E-engines were made possible in collaboration with Integral e-drive. OMP put the icing on the cake with touches like the featherweight racing overall for Romain Dumas, which complemented the lightweight design philosophy of the I.D. R Pikes Peak.
As Romain Dumas after driving his number 94 Pike Peak special car to victory and into history, comments: “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 Pikes Peak is the icing on the cake… The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the most impressive car I have ever driven in competition.”
