After decades of factory-backed commitments in motorsports using cars with internal combustion engines, Volkswagen is taking a major step forward into the electric age of automobiles. Focusing its motorsport strategy on electric mobility, there will be a clear emphasis on fully electric racing cars.
“The role as a technological pioneer will continue to be taken over by the ID.R electric racing car, which has set important milestones for electric mobility with records at Pikes Peak in the USA, Nurburgring in Germany, Goodwood in England and Tianmen in China. In addition, Volkswagen Motorsport will develop new motorsport concepts for the ID. family on the basis of the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB), on which numerous electric production vehicles will be based,” said Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand with responsibility for Technical Development.
“Volkswagen Motorsport broke new ground with the ID.R, and with its records around the world it demonstrated the enormous potential of electric drive. Now is the time for the next step towards the future: in motorsport, Volkswagen is resolutely committing to e-mobility and will say goodbye to factory-backed commitments using internal combustion engines. In addition to the ID.R as a technological pioneer, the MEB will in future be the second, production-related pillar in Volkswagen’s motorsport programme,” he revealed.
“Electric mobility offers enormous development potential, and in this regard motorsport can be a trailblazer. On the one hand, it serves as a dynamic laboratory for the development of future production cars and, on the other, as a convincing marketing platform to inspire people even more towards electric mobility,” explained Volkswagen Motorsport Director, Sven Smeets. “That is why we are going to focus more than ever on factory-backed electric drive commitments and continue to expand our activities with the development of the MEB. Innovative technology relevant to the car of the future is our focus.”
“Volkswagen Motorsport has enjoyed success with
conventional racing cars for decades.
Electric drive is a new challenge for the engineers.”
Sven Smeets, Director Volkswagen Motorsport
Electrifying customer sport programmes
Correspondingly, Volkswagen Motorsport’s customer sport programme will also be electrified. The first stage will involve different disciplines, platforms and vehicle types being examined and evaluated. Parallel to this, the production of the Golf GTI TCR for the racetrack will expire at the end of 2019. A successor based on the new generation will not be offered but customer service and spare parts supply will be guaranteed in the long term.
The Polo GTI R5 remains an integral part of Volkswagen Motorsport’s customer sport offering and will continue to be produced for customer teams. The Hanover base will be responsible for continued customer support, spare parts supply and the competitiveness of the Polo. However, factory-backed competition entries with the model will no longer go ahead.
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