Volkswagen ID.R breaks all-electric lap record at the Nurburgring

Volkswagen has smashed the lap record for electric vehicles at the Nurburgring Nordschleife with a time of 6m 5.336s.

Professional racer Romain Dumas was behind the wheel of the ID.R, which was originally built to tackle the famous Pikes Peak hillclimb before being modified to take on ‘The Green Hell’.

The Frenchman tackled the legendary circuit that winds through the forests of Germany’s Eifel region a full 40 seconds faster than the previous record. That time was held by the Chinese-made Nio EP9.

Herbert Diess, Volkswagen Group chief executive, said: “The Nordschleife of the Nürburgring is not only the world’s most demanding race track, it is also the ultimate test for production vehicles.

“The ID.R has mastered this challenge with great distinction and has completed the fastest emission-free lap of all time. As further proof of its impressive performance capabilities, Volkswagen’s e-mobility can now proudly call itself ‘Nürburgring-approved’.”

Dumas, who has won the Nurburgring 24-hour race four times, said: “To be a record-holder on the Nordschleife makes me unbelievably proud.

“For me, this is the best and most difficult race track in the world. I want to thank the team at Volkswagen Motorsport, who have once again done a fantastic job. The ID.R was perfectly prepared for the Nordschleife and it was so much fun to experience the blistering acceleration and rapid cornering speeds.”

In the past 12 months, the ID.R has also broken the absolute lap record at Pikes Peak and the EV record on the Goodwood hill climb.

For its attempt at the Nurburgring, the electric racer was given an aerodynamic makeover to reduce downforce and increase top speed. Volkswagen said it was honed after extensive simulator sessions helped it decide on the correct chassis tuning, how to deploy energy most efficiently, and which tyres should be used.