The Volkswagen Pikes Peak electric race car marked a turning point in motorsport history: after 30 years of absence from the legendary Colorado hill climb, Volkswagen Motorsport returned in 2018 with a purpose-built, all-electric contender that would go on to shatter the outright course record and prove the raw performance potential of electric powertrains at altitude.
30 Years After the Golf Mk. II: Why Volkswagen Came Back
When Volkswagen Motorsport last tackled Pikes Peak in 1987, the weapon of choice was a bi-engined Golf Mk. II developed by Austrian engineer Kurt Bergmann. The car weighed only 1,020 kg and produced a staggering 652 hp from two turbocharged 1.8-litre engines, sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. At its debut it was leading the timesheets, but two corners from the summit the front suspension failed and driver Jochi Kleint was forced to retire.
Three decades later, Volkswagen returned not to settle old scores but to write a new chapter. With the brand accelerating its global electrification strategy, Pikes Peak offered the perfect proving ground. As Frank Welsch, then Member of the Volkswagen Executive Board in charge of Development, explained: "The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is one of the world's most famous motor racing events. Its many difficulties make it the ideal place to test the capabilities of the technologies of tomorrow."
Volkswagen Golf Mk.II Bi-Engine Pikes Peak, Colorado - 1987
The Volkswagen I.D. R: Anatomy of an Electric Hillclimb Machine
Sven Smeets, Director of Volkswagen Motorsport, called the Pikes Peak project "a new beginning for Volkswagen." The car that would become the I.D. R was co-developed by Volkswagen Motorsport and the Wolfsburg Technical Development Department, with chassis input from Norma, the French sports prototype and hillclimb specialist.
The final specification was formidable: two electric motors, one on each axle, producing a combined 507 kW (680 hp) and 649 Nm of torque, all packaged into a car weighing under 1,100 kg. A 45-kWh lithium-ion battery powers the system, with roughly 20 percent of energy regenerated during the run itself. From standstill to 100 km/h takes just 2.25 seconds, making the I.D. R one of the quickest accelerating vehicles ever built for competition.
At altitude, internal combustion engines lose power as the air thins. Electric motors do not. That physical reality gave the I.D. R a structural advantage over any petrol competitor on the 19.99 km, 156-corner ascent to the 4,301-metre summit.
The Record That Changed Everything
Before the I.D. R, the fastest electric lap at Pikes Peak was 8:57.118, set by Rhys Millen in the Drive eO PP03. That car made 1,367 hp but completed its winning 2015 run on half power for much of the race due to electrical issues. It was the benchmark Volkswagen had to beat.
On 24 June 2018, Romain Dumas drove the I.D. R to a time of 7:57.148, becoming the first car in the event's 102-year history to complete the hill climb in under eight minutes. The I.D. R did not just beat the EV record; it broke the outright course record set by Sebastien Loeb in the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak. Electric performance at its most compelling.
Rhys Millen in the eO PP03
What the I.D. R Means for Electric Motorsport
The Volkswagen I.D. R program was more than a publicity exercise. It validated battery cooling and energy management strategies at extremes of altitude, temperature, and sustained load that road conditions rarely replicate. The aerodynamic package, with its flat-floor chassis and large rear wing, generated downforce figures comparable to a Le Mans prototype while keeping the centre of gravity low. Every engineering lesson fed directly into Volkswagen's broader road-car electrification work.
For motorsport enthusiasts, the I.D. R also demonstrated that electric racing can be fast, dramatic, and deeply compelling. The near-silent acceleration, the instant torque delivery, and the record-breaking result made a strong argument that the future of performance driving does not have to sacrifice excitement for sustainability.
Explore more pioneering electric performance machines in the TheArsenale Electric collection, including the Robocar by Roborace, the world's first autonomous electric race car, the RAESR Tachyon Speed electric hypercar, and the Apex AP-1 electric sports car. For the full range of performance road and race vehicles, visit the TheArsenale Cars collection.
