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Volkswagen and the I.D. R Pikes Peak have made history at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Driving the 500-kW (680 PS) I.D. R Pikes Peak, Romain Dumas (F) defeated a field including cars with conventional drivetrain technology. In doing so, he not only broke the previous record for electric vehicles, but also bettered Sébastien Loeb’s (F) all-time record from 2013 – by a full 16 seconds. Dumas’ new record of 7m 57.148s minutes is now top of the list of Pikes Peak champions, which includes such acclaimed drivers as Loeb, Walter Röhrl (D), Michèle Mouton (F), Stig Blomqvist (S), Nobuhiro Tajima (J) and also Rod Millen and his son Rhys (both NZ).

“The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the sporty forerunner of Volkswagen’s I.D. family. Today, we saw what this technology is capable of”, said Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for “Technical Development”. “Every Volkswagen employee can be extremely proud of today’s result. I congratulate the team from the bottom of my heart. With a combination of outstanding engineering skills, passion and commitment, the team has managed to create a fantastic racing car in just eight months. The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak has now set the fastest time in the history of this hill climb, which spans more than 100 years – that speaks volumes for electric mobility.”

19.99 kilometres, 156 corners, just one attempt – and a successful one: Romain Dumas claimed his fourth overall victory at the iconic Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which has now been held 96 times since 1916. With the I.D. R Pikes Peak, Volkswagen has created an extraordinary racing car, specifically tailored to the demands of the most famous of hill climbs: a combination of minimum weight, as much downforce as possible, and maximum power, designed to achieve the best possible performance. Including its battery cells, the I.D. R Pikes Peak weighs less than 1,100 kilograms. When evaluating performance, Volkswagen employed simulation software to calculate exactly how to achieve the optimum in energy demand and performance for the record attempt on Pikes Peak. In the matter of aerodynamics, the key was to compensate for the loss of downforce caused by the thin air on Pikes Peak. The result of this endeavour could be seen from afar: the flat, streamlined chassis and huge rear wing.

Volkswagen also struck out in a new direction when it came to charging technology – the goal being to charge the car as quickly as possible with minimum environmental impact. The time was defined by the regulations: In case of the race being suspended, it must be possible to completely charge the car in under 20 minutes. The electricity required was provided by generators at the foot of Pikes Peak. Glycerol, which in chemical terms is a sugar alcohol, was selected as the fuel. A by-product of the manufacture of biodiesel, for example, Glycerol combusts with virtually no harmful exhaust fumes or residues. Glycerol itself is non-toxic and is even permitted as an additive in the food and cosmetics industries.

A mere 250 days passed between the announcement and the start of the Pikes Peak project on 18 October 2017 and the record-breaking run on Pikes Peak on 24 June 2018. This was an extremely sporty remit for the development of a thoroughbred prototype, including innovative fully-electric drive technology, specific demands on the batteries, aerodynamics and chassis. This effort and the tireless work of the Volkswagen mechanics, engineers and many more employees in Wolfsburg, at the motorsport headquarters in Hannover and, last but not least, during the weeks of preparation in Colorado Springs, has now been rewarded with a new record on Pikes Peak.

Volkswagen has had some strong partners on its side for the record attempt on Pikes Peak, in the form of Volkswagen R, ANSYS, Michelin, Integral e-drive and OMP. With Volkswagen R, the I.D. R Pikes Peak received a sporting seal of approval from the outset, which it more than earned on its record-breaking run, if not before. ANSYS also made a vital contribution to the success of the project by providing support with the software simulations. Another key factor was tyre maker Michelin’s years of experience on Pikes Peak, which allowed them to provide tyre technology perfectly tailored to the demands of the hill climb. The I.D. R Pikes Peak’s E-engines, which together generated 500 kW (680 PS), were achieved in collaboration with partner Integral e-drive. OMP put the icing on the cake – for example, with the featherweight racing overall for Romain Dumas, which perfectly complemented the lightweight design philosophy of the I.D. R Pikes Peak.

Reactions from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Romain Dumas (F), Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak #94

“Awesome! We exceeded even our own high expectations with that result. Since this week’s tests, we have known that it was possible to break the all-time record. For it to come off, everything had to come together perfectly – from the technology to the driver. And the weather had to play ball too. That everything ran so smoothly is an incredible feeling, and the new record on Pikes Peak is the icing on the cake. I still cannot believe that Volkswagen and my name are behind this incredible time. The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the most impressive car I have ever driven in competition. The electric drivetrain means that many things are different and I learned a lot during the project. The team did an indescribably meticulous, yet at the same time relaxed, job. Not only did we get the desired result, but the team spirit was also spot on. I am incredibly proud to have been a part of it.”

Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director

“This is a fantastic day for Volkswagen and one, of which we are very proud. The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the most innovative and complex car ever developed by Volkswagen Motorsport. Every employee involved in the Pikes Peak project has constantly had to push their boundaries and show extreme commitment and dedication. Without this, it would not have been possible to repeatedly overcome new challenges and come up with new solutions. It should actually be impossible to achieve all that and especially the all-time record in such a short time, but our team pulled it off thanks to their passion and commitment. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on the project and showed such fantastic team spirit.”

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

It started with simulations. “Before we actually assembled the I.D. R Pikes Peak, we used computers to analyse a multitude  of different configurations,” says Willy Rampf, technical advisor to the project and a man with a wealth of Formula 1 experience, recalling the start of the development of the car for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. “It was clear to us that we would not have time to build multiple test vehicles. We had to get it right at the first attempt.”

The trials focused on finding the optimal compromise between performance and weight. Both factors are even more dependent on each other in an electric car like the I.D. R Pikes Peak than in a racing car with a conventional combustion engine. The simple rule of thumb is: The greater the performance, the heavier the batteries required. However, every single gram is unwanted weight – particularly at a hill climb. On Pikes Peak, the cars must overcome a difference in altitude of more than 1,400 metres – from the start at 2,862 to the finish line at 4,302 metres above sea level. 

Romain Dumas, at the wheel of the I.D. R Pikes Peak, will also be faced with a series of hairpin turns, where a heavy car would be a disadvantage when braking and accelerating out of corners.

As such, the Volkswagen Motorsport engineers decided on the following strategy: The I.D. R Pikes Peak was to be as light as possible, while still maintaining a very high level of performance. The framework for this strategy was provided by the regulations for the most famous hill climb in the world, which literally offer virtually limitless freedom in the “Unlimited” class.

Being given the proverbial blank sheet of paper and told to develop a new racing car from scratch is a dream for any engineer. “To develop a car solely for this 20-kilometre hill climb is a very special task. There were virtually no bounds to the innovation shown by the engineers,” says François-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport.

“Simulation played a major role in achieving the low weight of the car,” explains Rampf. For example, computers were used to design chassis parts in such a way that they are able to cope with the anticipated loads without any problems, and without appearing oversized – or overweight. However, the development team almost completely dispensed with the standard but extremely expensive materials commonly used in top-class motor racing, such as titanium. “The chassis, wheel suspensions and safety structure of the I.D. R Pikes Peak are almost completely made of steel and aluminium,” says Demaison.

Despite this, and whilst still generating a top performance of 500 kW (680 PS), the car, complete with driver, weighs less than 1,100 kilograms – a lightweight compared to previous record-breaking cars in the Pikes Peak category for electric cars. The relatively low performance allowed the battery blocks for the I.D. R Pikes Peak to be made so compact that they could be positioned next to and behind the driver, thus ensuring perfect weight distribution. They provide the energy for an electric engine on both the front and rear axles, while torque distribution is managed electronically.

The I.D. R Pikes Peak’s chassis and aerodynamic components are made of an extremely light carbon fibre/Kevlar composite. One of the tasks faced during the design phase was to integrate design elements from the I.D. family – Volkswagen’s future range of fully-electric vehicles – in the exterior of the Pikes Peak racing car. “During this phase of development, we worked particularly closely with our Volkswagen colleagues in Wolfsburg,” recalls Willy Rampf.

The cockpit of the I.D. R Pikes Peak, a monocoque structure, is also made of ultra-light carbon fibre. The extent to which the engineers were willing to go to reduce weight is exemplified by the driver’s equipment.

Technology partner OMP made driver Dumas’ fire-resistant race overall, as well as the seat padding and six-point harness, from particularly light material. Even the sponsors’ logos are printed onto the overall, to save the weight of conventional patches.

However, the lightweight perfectionists at Volkswagen Motorsport did have to give in on one point: The regulations of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb stipulate that each driver must wear a large event emblem, roughly 40 cm² in size, on their race overall. The plan was to have this logo printed on Dumas’ overall too. “That was rejected. According to the regulations, it has to be sewn on. The thread used for that weighs almost as much as the entire overall,” says Technical Director Demaison with a wink.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Boasting the latest assistance systems, some of them appearing for the first time in a Volkswagen, the Touareg also offers the option of the new Innovision Cockpit which comprises an intuitive digital operating, information, communication and entertainment unit that can be fully personalised.

Boasting the latest assistance systems, some of them appearing for the first time in a Volkswagen, the Touareg also offers the option of the new Innovision Cockpit which comprises an intuitive digital operating, information, communication and entertainment unit that can be fully personalised.

The 2018 Touareg is the latest milestone in the largest product offensive in Volkswagen’s brand history. The global SUV range, led by the new car, now consists of the new T-Roc, the Tiguan, the new Tiguan Allspace, the new Atlas (USA) and its new sister model Teramont (China).

Meanwhile the T-Cross compact SUV – shown in concept form as the T-Cross Breeze – is also due to make its global debut in 2018. A zero emission model has already been decided upon, too, in the shape of the I.D. CROZZ – the first fully electric SUV from Volkswagen. It will be launched in 2020.

Debuting with efficient and potent V6 turbocharged engines the Touareg comes with an eight-speed automatic Tiptronic gearbox and 4MOTION all-wheel drive. In the UK, the car will initially be offered with a 286 PS 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel unit or, from the autumn, a 231 PS version of the same engine. A 340 PS 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged petrol engine will be available to order in the UK in late 2018, with deliveries of that powertrain beginning in 2019.

In addition a plug-in hybrid drive with a system power of 367 PS is first planned for introduction in China. The exact launch date of the Touareg with plug-in hybrid drive in Europe has yet to be set.

With a torque peak of up to 600 Nm, the 286 PS 3.0 V6 TDI also showcases the new Touareg’s extensive towing capacity. Capable of hauling braked trailer weights of up to 3.5 tonnes, the new car also boasts the latest iteration of Volkswagen’s handy Trailer Assist technology to facilitate simple slow-speed manoeuvring.

The 3.0 V6 TDI with 286 PS (2,967 cc) generates its punchy torque peak of 600 Nm from only 2,250 rpm, and offers 42.8 mpg* on the combined cycle. 0-62 mph takes 6.1 seconds, and the Touareg’s top speed is 146 mph.

The new third generation Touareg is equipped with permanent all-wheel drive (4MOTION) mated to an eight-gear automatic Tiptronic gearbox with ‘shift by wire’ functionality.

A centre differential lock with asymmetric dynamic torque distribution acts as a transfer box for the flow of forces between the front and rear axle. A maximum of 70 per cent of the drive force reaches the front axle and up to 80 per cent can be sent to the rear axle.

Offered here in three comprehensively specified trims: SEL, R-Line and new R-Line Tech, the five-seat Touareg sits on the Volkswagen Group’s modular longitudinal matrix (MLB).

Wider and longer than before, the luxurious new SUV’s dimensions are 4,878 mm long (+77 mm); 2,193 mm wide (including wing mirrors, +44 mm) and 1,702 mm high (-7 mm). Together these create significantly more dynamic proportions and, allied to all-new styling, endow the Touareg with an imposing yet lithe style.

The five-door, five-seat Touareg offers a 1,051 mm load length and maximum load capacity of 810 litres (seats up) or 1,800 litres (seats down). Kerb weight is 2,070 kg for the launch car.

Technology made simple

One of the many technical innovations in the new Touareg is the option of the Innovision Cockpit. The 12-inch digital instrument cluster – Active Info Display – merges with the 15-inch TFT touchscreen of the new Discover Premium infotainment system to form a new digital operating, information, communication and entertainment unit.

The Innovision Cockpit is the control centre of a new era – an interactive interface in which the information and settings of all essential comfort, assist and infotainment systems converge in one simple-to-use matrix.

Thanks to a separate eSIM mobile data connection, the new SUV is also “always on”. Indeed, never before has a Volkswagen interior of this type been digitalised and extensively linked to the vehicle functions and outside world to such an extent.

More broadly, today’s Touareg features a new generation of assistance, driving dynamics and comfort systems includes technologies such as Night Vision (thermal imaging camera); Traffic Jam and Roadwork Lane Assist (partly automated steering and lane departure warning up to 37 mph, acceleration and braking); Front Cross Traffic Assist (responds to traffic crossing in front of the Touareg); active all-wheel steering; and a new roll stabilisation system with electromechanically controlled anti-roll bars.

Comfort, space and grace

New technology aligns with conventional premium car values of space and cosseting comfort inside the new Touareg, too. The car’s optional electrically adjustable front seats, for instance, offer a new, pneumatic massage function with no fewer than eight programs available. The intensity of the massage functions can be continuously adjusted via individual air cushions.

The car’s flexibility is demonstrated by the flexible rear seat system. The position of the rear seats can be shifted by 160 mm fore/aft to create more space in the rear if required. Meanwhile the angle adjustment of the rear seat backrests is also variable in three stages, and by up to 21 degrees.

Natural light comes in through the optionally available panoramic sliding roof – the largest yet offered by Volkswagen. The transparent roof section is 1,270 mm long and 825 mm wide (inner dimensions), and the front half can be continuously opened and electrically moved back by almost half a metre (495 mm) and raised.

Meanwhile night driving is now more pleasant than ever thanks to a newly developed optional LED ambient light system. Using the ambient light, the atmosphere on board the Touareg can be personalised via 30 different light colours whose brightness can be adjusted.

Welcoming the arrival of the new Touareg to Volkswagen Retailers nationwide Alison Jones, Director of Volkswagen UK, said: “The new Touareg signals yet another important development in Volkswagen’s growing SUV line-up.

“Our suite of new models, headed by Touareg, arrives on the market as SUV sales continue to accelerate in the UK and I’m confident our new flagship model will make a big impact here.”

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

• Volkswagen experts want to simulate the chemical structure of batteries on quantum computers
• They have already successfully modeled key molecules such as lithium-hydrogen and carbon chains on quantum computers
• The objective is the “tailor-made battery”, a configurable chemical blueprint ready for production
• Volkswagen is presenting quantum computing at CEBIT (June 12-15)

For the first time, Volkswagen experts have succeeded in simulating industrially relevant molecules using a quantum computer. This is especially important for the development of high-performance electric vehicle batteries. The experts have successfully simulated molecules such as lithium-hydrogen and carbon chains. Now they are working on more complex chemical compounds. In the long term, they want to simulate the chemical structure of a complete electric vehicle battery on a quantum computer. Their objective is to develop a “tailor-made battery”, a configurable chemical blueprint that is ready for production. Volkswagen is presenting its research work connected with quantum computing at the CEBIT technology show (Hanover, June 12-15).