VW electric racer smashes Pikes Peak's overall record

VW may have been overly cautious when it hoped to beat Pikes Peak's electric vehicle record with its purpose-built racer. Official lap time data has confirmed that Romain Dumas' I.D. R Pikes Peak made it up the legendary hill in just over 7 minutes and 57 seconds, crushing not only the EV record (8 minutes and 57 seconds) but the overall record (just over 8 minutes and 13 seconds in the Unlimited class). It managed that with an average speed of 90.5MPH, clearly trouncing the 83.5MPH of its closest competitor, a Norma M20 SF PKP.

There's not much mystery to why the I.D. R Pikes Peak came out in front: it made the most of its electric motor. It doesn't have the most raw horsepower at 680HP, but the combination of instant access to 479 pound-feet of torque, a relatively light weight for an EV (2,500lbs) and Porsche-derived aerodynamics make for a vehicle that can quickly recover speed when exiting the hill's 156 turns. EVs are practically tailor-made for twisty hill climbs, and VW's achievement serves as proof.

Via: Autoblog

Source: LiveTiming.net, Volkswagen Motorsport (Twitter)



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2tAPXX7
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic...
Read more

Sprint will give free data to Snapdragon PCs

Image
It's official. Sprint is definitely giving away free unlimited LTE data through 2018 to those who use laptops packing Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor. We first learned of this last month , and the announcement today clarifies which devices qualify. If you own or buy the HP Envy X2 , ASUS NovaGo or Lenovo Miix 630 , you'll be able to get free unlimited data if you sign up for AutoPay with the carrier. This won't cover devices using the new Snapdragon 850 chipset , although that's not available in an actual computer yet, and we'll possibly hear more later this year. Always-available data connectivity is perhaps the biggest selling point of Windows on Snapdragon devices, which promise gigabit LTE speeds wherever you are. While it would be nice to see other carriers offer similar deals, just to have an alternative option, this offer makes these...
Read more

ASUS VivoWatch BP keeps track of your blood pressure and location

Image
ASUS may well have pulled out of the Android smartwatch market after its ZenWatch 3 , but it's actually not quite done yet with wearables. At Computex, the company made a little surprise by unveiling the VivoWatch BP, which is a follow-up to the original low-power VivoWatch from three years ago. We're looking at a handful of new features and improvements here, with the main highlight being the built-in blood pressure monitor -- a rare feature in the smartwatch category. The only other recent direct competitor is the Omron HeartGuide , which is also due to lau nch later this year. The VivoWatch BP won't be winning praises for its appearance. While the previously monochromatic high-reflective display has now gained some colors, it's also gained a much thicker bezel to accommodate extra sensors on the front. The screen is positioned i...
Read more