Volkswagen sets sights on Nurburgring electric record

Volkswagen is driving electromobility forward at high speed, both in production vehicles and on the race track.

Following the record-breaking run at the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb, the I.D. R - Volkswagen's fully-electric sports car - has now set its sights on the lap record for electric cars on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, which is regarded as the toughest race track in the world.

The I.D. R, which is being further developed for the record attempt at the Nurburgring, is powered by two electric engines with a system capacity of 670bhp and weighs less than 1,100kg, including the driver. 

Unlike the U.S.A classic on Pikes Peak, which starts at an altitude of 2,862m and ends at 4,302m, the Nordschleife winds its way through the Eifel region at between 320m and 617m above sea level.

The current record for fully-electric vehicles stands at six minutes 45.90 seconds - at an average speed of almost 185km/h - and was set in 2017 by Britain's Peter Dumbreck in a NIO EP9.

The I.D. R is the sporty ambassador to an entire range of electric vehicles, which Volkswagen plans to launch from 2020 onwards. The I.D. R's motorsport assignments are a declaration of Volkswagen's commitment to electromobility and underline the huge potential power that the E-drive can deliver on regular roads in the future.