– Battery in the I.D. R Pikes Peak must be charged within 20 minutes, according to regulations
– Sophisticated strategy for rapid charging protects battery from overheating
– Glycerol used to generate charging current in environmentally-sound manner with no harmful substances
The corresponding paragraph in the regulations for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is clear: Should a participant in the most famous hill climb in the world be forced to suspend their run for safety reasons – for example, should it suddenly start to hail or another car require recovering – they have exactly 20 minutes, in which to prepare for their second attempt and to return to the start line. « This time frame was a crucial factor when configuring the battery for the I.D. R Pikes Peak, » says François-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport. “Furthermore, the charging strategy and independent mobile power supply are also important aspects of the rapid-charging system. »
Head of Electrics and Electronics at Volkswagen Motorsport, Marc-Christian Bertram’s team developed the electric drive for the I.D. R Pikes Peak, which generates a system performance of 500 kW (680 PS). When the Volkswagen Motorsport team attempts to break the existing record for the electric car class on 24 June, it must be ready for countless imponderables. These include a possible interruption. « When determining the charging strategy, we had to bear in mind a possible re-start,