The annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is one of the oldest races in the world, having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. For much of its history, the 12.4-mile (19.9km) course was a dirt road of it played host to rally-worn machines, but since the track was fully paved in 2012, slick tires and hard braking have become the order of the day. And the fastest cars are very quiet, too. That’s because it has become a great opportunity to put electric car technology to the test. Unlike internal combustion engines, EVs do not suffer any drop in power as they climb from 4,750 feet (1,440m) to finish above the tree line at 14,100 feet (4,300m).
Now Volkswagen has thrown its hat into the ring with the purpose of EV Racing, which it plans to enter in 2018. It is the first big motorsports program from VW after the diesel emissions scandal, which has seen the company cancel most of its. racing and rallying activities.
“Pikes Peak is one of the most famous car races in the world. It is a great challenge and is well suited to demonstrate the capabilities of the upcoming technologies,” explains Volkswagen board member Frank Welsch. “Our electric racing car will be equipped with innovative battery and drive technology. Pikes Peak’s extreme stress test will give us important feedback that will benefit future development, and will showcase our products and their technologies.”
Sadly, we don’t have any details about the EV yet, or any images other than the silhouette you see above. In fact, we don’t even have a name for it yet. But we know it will be all-wheel drive, and we expect at least 745kW (1,000hp), because VW is planning to set a new EV record on top, and it will compete with other EVs. with the same great power presentations.