Pikes Peak Car Takes Shape

VW gives its upcoming electric range an uphill start

Volkswagen has revealed what its electric Pikes Peak prototype will look like, and it finally has a name: I.D. R Pikes Peak.

But not much else has been revealed by the German car maker, expect that it’s the ‘ambassador to the I.D. range’ and combines that with its ‘R’ range. Beneath it will be 20 fully electric models by 2025, with the first of the I.D. range beginning production next year.

So far I.D. (in concept form) features the CROZZ, inevitably an SUV, with a targeted range of 400-600km on a single charge. Then of course there’s the much-vaunted I.D. camper concept.

But first, in June, VW is targeting the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb all-electric record, which currently stands at 8min 57.118sec to Rhys Millen, driving a tubular-chassis e0 PP100 prototype.

Double Le Mans winner and 2016 WEC champion Romain Dumas will pilot VW’s first Pikes Peak car since the twin-engined Golf of 1987 – he’ll be doing back-to-back Le Mans/Pikes Peak weekends once more.

He’s searching for his fourth win in five years, his only defeat coming as a result of Millen’s electric run.