Desert Race Archives

Production-based Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV completes desert race

The EXTREME X series is the ‘Dakar Rally for electric vehicles’ but the small number of SUV EVs taking part are very special models, developed for the purpose of the unique competition. They are not what would be available from showrooms, just as F1 cars are not sold to the public.

Volkswagen, however, has shown that even production EVs can take the very rough conditions of off-road racing with a specially prepared Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV having completed the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000 race recently.

Standard electric powertrain
The ID.4 was driven by professional racer and Volkswagen brand ambassador, Tanner Foust, and Rhys Millen Racing partially modified a rear-wheel-drive version of the E-SUV model. However, it used a standard powertrain with an 82-kWh battery pack. The radiator was raised several centimetres to improve approach angles and cooling capacity, and additional skid plates of thick steel were added to the undercarriage.

To cope with the demanding conditions and terrain, the suspension was also modified with more travel and ground clearance. Rally-style coil-over struts were fitted to all four wheels along with tubular lower control arms in the front and boxed lower rear links.

Inside the cabin was a roll cage for safety, racing seats and supplemental screens for key data like battery temperature, crucial information to know with the high desert temperatures and constant high speeds.

Biofuel-powered generator for recharging
The ID.4 was one of the 64 vehicles that finished the entirety of the NORRA 1000, out of 90 cars and trucks entered. Stages measured between 53 kms and up to 270 kms over the 1.600-km route. The ID.4 was able to recharge mostly using a portable biofuel-powered generator connected to a 50 kW flat charger. In a couple of instances where the ID.4 was scheduled to be transited to the next stage but the charger was not available, the team towed it behind a chase vehicle for a short distance, using the regenerative braking to add range.

Despite the brutal nature of the Baja wilderness, the only damage suffered by the e-SUV was some cosmetic injury to the rear bumper. All of the vehicle’s key power, battery and control systems performed as expected. The ID.4 was raced mostly in ‘B’ level battery regeneration mode with the standard traction control turned on.

“This was an exciting test of ID.4 technology because no other production-based EV had ever entered this event, let alone completed it,” said Scott Keogh, President & CEO of Volkswagen of America.

The ID.4 is the second model in Volkswagen’s all-electric ID range. First deliveries in Europe started at the end of 2020 and it is also being sold in North America and China. Last month, it was announced as the 2021 World Car of the Year.

Drag race video of high speed racers, with a twist

E.ON, a well known energy provider, has released a witty video that showcases the versatility of electric mobility. The 1:36 minute film depicts an American style drag race that takes place on a wide barren dessert floor in the middle of nowhere.

A variety of different vehicles line up side by side at the start of the race. They comprise of the world’s first big foot EV, Tachyon Speed by Raesr, an electric hyper-car prototype, Baja buggy, Shelby Cobra motorbikes, and a number of other vehicles.

Initially, the video would have you believe that all these vehicles are in fact petrol or diesel powered. their engine notes or lack there of, were masked by the audible sound of several electric guitars played by musicians from the bed of pick-up trucks.

Their musical notes mimic that of actual engine sounds and exhaust notes. And as these vehicles pass a small petrol station in the desert, the music stops to reveal that all vehicles in the race are in fact, fully electric. The big foot, actually has 30 separate batteries in it that total 360 volts and the Tachyon Speed, has about 1,250bhp of EV power at its disposal.

The video ends with the words, E.ON is setting the electric car free, referring to the idea that any car, regardless of age, can be converted into a fully electric one. This maybe a startling revelation to some, but many manufacturers including Bosch, already produce modular systems that can be adapted to support multiple platforms.

E.On however isn’t a manufacturer but a major supporter of the EV platform and is currently running The ‘Freedom is Electric’ campaign. It showcases the diversity of the world of electric vehicles, charged using E.ON’s fast-charging technology, which will be available in thousands of locations across Europe.

It’s ultra-fast charging network, offering 150 kW of charging power with a modular upgrade option to 350 kW, will enable charging of a full 400 kilometres range battery in only 20-30 minutes. This will help somewhat, to make electric cars more practical as daily drivers and for long distance commutes.

All vehicles that were featured in the film, including the motorbikes and drones used for filming, were actually EVs. Not a single drop of fossil fuel was used in the entire making of the video, which exemplifies the notion of electric mobility being the future of modern transportation.