French driver Romain Dumas set the pace with Volkswagen’s all-electric hill climb racer
A June Sunrise in the Colorado Rockies. As the sun peeks over the horizon on the eve of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, it’s Volkwagen’s opportunity to crush some records. Romain Dumas, three-time Pikes Peak Hill Climb champion, pilots the all-electric Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak up the grades and curves to the 14,114-feet summit.
The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak is the current halo project of the electric I.D. series. And while the practical and more down to earth prospects of the I.D. Crozz and I.D. Buzz are significant in their own right, this is what’s stealing headlines. It’s the most anticipated car in the I.D. series, with 680 horsepower propelling less than 2,500 pounds up to the summit of Pikes Peak.
In qualifying for the hill climb, each racer only ran the first section of the 19.99 kilometer (12.42 mile) course comprising 156 turns. That section runs from the start to the 8.3 kilometer (or 5.15 mile) mark. The contenders’ times set during qualifying determine their position for the race itself. The competitor with the fastest qualifying time will start first in the event. Setting a time of 3:16.083 minutes, Dumas handily beat all other competitors in the field.
11 seconds faster than runner-up Simone Faggioli
“That was a very good day for us,” said Dumas. “I have never experienced acceleration and power like that in a racing car. I am noticing how the car and I are becoming more and more of a unit with every kilometer.” Dumas went 11.049 seconds faster in qualifying than the next-fastest contender, Simone Faggioli in a gasoline-powered Norma M20 SF PKP racer.
Volkswagen is gunning for the electric vehicle record, which currently stands at 8:57.118 minutes. TFL will cover Dumas’ attempt at the record at 10:00 on Sunday, June 24. Stay tuned to The Fast Lane Car and TFLnow for more coverage!
TFL will also be at Pikes Peak Fan Fest Friday, June 22, where we will stream live to TFLnow. Don’t miss it!
