Volkswagen
ID.R

Why it matters

The fully electric ID.R was Volkswagen Motorsport's record car and the sporting ambassador of its electric ID. family. It took all-time or electric records at Pikes Peak, the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and Volkswagen says the work fed back into production development of electric drivetrains and battery handling.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

History

The ID.R was developed in 250 days for the 2018 Pikes Peak hill climb, where Romain Dumas set an all-time record of 7:57.148 on 24 June 2018, the first time the eight-minute mark was broken and the first all-time record by an electric car. The same pairing set the electric record at Goodwood in July 2018.

For the Nordschleife the chassis set-up, energy management and tyre choice were modified, and in June 2019 Dumas lapped in 6:05.336 minutes, about 40 seconds faster than the previous electric record. At Goodwood in July 2019 he ran 39.90 seconds, 1.7 seconds quicker than the 20-year-old McLaren MP4/13 Formula 1 record. The next target announced was Tianmen Mountain in China in September 2019.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The ID.R is a single-seat open-wheel electric race car. The Nordschleife record car is an evolved version of the Pikes Peak car with aerodynamics set for top speed rather than maximum downforce, new chassis tuning and a different tyre choice. It carries a total system output of 500 kW (680 PS) from two identical motors, one per axle.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   ID.R press book 2019 Level A Volkswagen Motorsport · 2019

   • two identical electric engines on the front and rear axles
   • total power output of 500 kW (680 PS)
   • torque distribution is managed electronically
   • chassis is made from a carbon-fibre/Kevlar composite
   • Including the driver, the ID. R weighs less than 1,100 kilograms

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Volkswagen Unveils 680 Horsepower I.D. R Electric Pikes Peak Car Level C The Drive · 2018

   • 680 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque
   • torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive
   • limited to 240 kph (149 mph)
   • from standstill to 60 in 2.25 seconds

   Accessed 2026-11-12