Volkswagen will go back to Pikes Peak for the first time since 1987 with its electric I.D. R Pikes Peak racer.

DETAILS ARE STILL THIN about the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak electric racer but the Pikes Peak hill climb will take place on 24 June, so stay tuned for more details in the lead-up. The 2018 event will be the first time the German car maker has gone back to Pikes Peak since it ran a dual-engined Golf in 1987 – it didn’t win.

“It is about time we settled the score,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director, Sven Smeets. “The I.D. R Pikes Peak represents an extremely exciting challenge for us, to show what is possible with an electric engine in motorsport. The entire team behind our driver Romain Dumas is highly motivated to set a new record for electric cars.” The record in the electric prototype class currently stands at 8:57.118 minutes and was set in 2016 by New Zealand’s Rhys Millen (e0 PP100).

The international Pikes Peak hill climb – also known as the “Race to the Clouds” – began in 1916. The 19.99-kilometre route runs from the start at 2800 metres to the summit at 4300 metres above sea level.

But it’s not just about revenge.

“We want to be at the forefront of electromobility with Volkswagen and the I.D. family,” explained Volkswagen Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Development, Dr. Frank Welsch. “Competing in the most famous hill climb in the world with the I.D. R Pikes Peak not only has symbolic meaning, but is also a valuable test for the general development of electric cars.”

Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Sales, Marketing and After Sales, added: “Pikes Peak is without question the most iconic hill climb in the world. For Volkswagen, it represents a fantastic opportunity to charge the topic of E mobility, both emotionally and from a sporting perspective, thanks to the I.D. R project.”