VW Wants to Take the Electric Record at Pikes Peak

Volkswagen wants to prove its electric car bona fides, and the best way to do that is at the track, as it were. To prove itself, it has announced that it will try to break the electric record at Pike’s Peak.

“The Pike’s Peak hill climb is one of the world’s most renowned car races and is therefore perfectly suited to proving the capabilities of upcoming technologies,” said Dr. Frank Welsch, head of development. “Our electric race car will be equipped with innovative battery and drive technology. The extreme stress test posed by Pikes Peak will us important feedback that will benefit future development.”

Volkswagen Motorsport will build the car. In the past, they have taken the Polo to four consecutive World Rally Championships, the Beetle (now) three Red Bull Global Rallycross championships, and much more.

The brand has also raced at Pikes Peak before, with a twin-engine Golf. Not unlike the I.D. concept, there were engines up front and out back. Sadly, that Golf just missed out on the finish, but Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director, says that “it is high time for a rematch.”

“The project is also an important milestone in our new motorsport orientation,” said Smeets. “The race on Pikes Peak is a new beginning for us. We are developing an all-electric race vehicle for the first time.”

This new race car will be in good company when it gets to Pikes Peak, which is no stranger to electric cars. Given the high altitude, power coming from a motor that doesn’t run on air is actually an advantage. At 14,000 feet above sea level, traditional engines can struggle to find power near the peak.

The event’s current record holder is Sebastien Loeb (in a Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak) at 8:13.878. The electric record, meanwhile, is held by Rhys Millen in the e0 PP100 with a time of 8:57.118. Volkswagen will be looking to beat Millen’s time.

The post VW Wants to Take the Electric Record at Pikes Peak appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2kZG3x3
via IFTTT

Comments

You can't scam VW by buying a dirty diesel now and still get full payout

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Volkswagen , Diesel VW's lawyers have naturally put in a clause that will prevent anyone from buying a known dirty TDI from getting the full buyout amount from the OEM. Continue reading You can't scam VW by buying a dirty diesel now and still get full payout You can't scam VW by buying a dirty diesel now and still get full payout originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/297SxtR

2018 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster Review

“Supercars just don’t excite me anymore.” These words, spoken to me over a month ago by another journalist, friend, and (so-called) enthusiast were echoing in my head for far too long, but they’ve finally been drowned out. Drowned out by the wail of a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine mounted in the middle of the new Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster. My friend’s point is that back in the good old days, there was a crop of supercars that captured the imagination with amazing style, sounds, performance, and more. Today, it seems like everything is capable of supercar performance, with large luxury sedans outdoing some of the best and most dedicated teams of car nuts, while former pillars of automotive excellence are suddenly pumping out family-friendly SUVs. Beyond that, another league of supercars, dubbed hypercars have cropped up with hybrid gas-electric powertrains that make magical things happen quickly, but at the cost of the acoustic drama, visual flair, and engag...

PZM 73rd Rally Poland Kicks Off

The WRC is in Poland and after only one stage there are three Volkswagens in the top five. Today’s special stage at the Mikolajki Arena is the first stage, but the rally doesn’t begin in earnest until Friday. Today’s super special stage was less than two minutes long, and less than a second separates the top five drivers. Hyundai Motorsport’s Thierry Neuville tops the charts today, followed closely by Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelsen. Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala are in fourth and fifth, respectively. Expect Ogier to climb the rankings, though. Not only did he win the rally last year, he has won every year since 2013. And with rain expected on Friday, Ogier’s chances are even better. “If it’s a bit wet then I hope I can make some good times,” said Ogier earlier today. “The best would be some good rain during the night so it’s a damp surface and then not too bad weather during the day so specators can enjoy the show without being too wet.” If it is dry, though, speed is on ...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog