Volkswagen had been one of the dominant forces in global motorsport through its premium brands — Audi, Bentley, and Porsche — winning at Le Mans in every year from 2000 to 2017 except 2009, and taking the World Rally Championship with the Polo R in each of its four competitive seasons from 2013 to 2016. The emissions scandal prompted a wholesale withdrawal from these programmes, creating pressure on the company to re-enter motorsport in a form that demonstrated its commitment to electrification. Pikes Peak was selected as the debut venue for the I.D. R because the fully paved course offered an opportunity to set a meaningful record without the risk management challenges of an extended multi-event season.
The Volkswagen I.D. R featured two electric motors, one at each axle, producing a combined 507 kW (689 PS; 680 hp) and 649 Nm of torque. The car weighed under 1,100 kg and could accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h in 2.25 seconds. Its chassis was co-developed with Norma, a French sports prototype and hillclimb specialist. Power was stored in a single 45-kWh battery. French driver Romain Dumas was selected for the attempt.
The team set an internal target of beating the existing electric car record of 8 minutes 57.118 seconds, set in 2016 by Rhys Millen. On 24 June 2018, Dumas and the I.D. R completed the 12.42-mile climb in 7 minutes 57.148 seconds — becoming the first car to complete the Pikes Peak course in under eight minutes, and setting a new outright record that surpassed Sébastien Loeb's previous benchmark set in 2013. The average speed over the run was 150.9 km/h, with 218 km/h recorded through the speed trap. In 2018 the Dewar Trophy was awarded to Integral Powertrain, the supplier of the electric motors used in the car.
Following Pikes Peak, Volkswagen continued to use the I.D. R for a series of high-profile electric vehicle record attempts at other circuits and venues. On 3 June 2019, Dumas drove the I.D. R to a new electric vehicle lap record at the Nürburgring, completing the circuit in 6 minutes 5.336 seconds at cornering forces of up to 3.49 g, surpassing the previous record held by the NIO EP9. The car reached speeds of 273 km/h, averaging 205.3 km/h over the lap. In 2019, Dumas also set the fastest time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb, completing the run in 39.90 seconds. Later that year, Dumas established a record on the 10,906-metre Shan Big Gate Road on Tianmen Mountain in China, completing the ascent in 7 minutes 38.585 seconds.
In February 2020, Volkswagen confirmed that a second version of the I.D. R, designated the I.D. R Evo, was under development for further record attempts. However, Volkswagen subsequently announced it would step back from motorsport activity for its flagship brand, while continuing to support motorsport under its premium marques.
The I.D. R programme demonstrated that an all-electric prototype could not only match but surpass the performance of combustion-engined machinery at one of motorsport's most demanding events. The 2018 Pikes Peak run remains among the most significant results in the event's modern era and established Volkswagen Motorsport as a pioneer in electric motorsport competition.