The electric Volkswagen ID.4 follows in the footsteps of the Beetle.
Volkswagen has teamed up with Rhys Millen Racing to compete in one of the all-electric commercial vehicles in the five-day Norra 1000 race in Baja, Mexico.
The point is not to win it, but to test the durability of the electric powertrain.
The four-door has been modified with a roll cage, chassis reinforcements, and updated suspension that offers seven inches of bike travel, which is far less than most modern and classic vehicles that also compete in the race.
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The ID.4 features a rear-engined rear-engined layout that has something in common with the Baja Bugs that have been around the peninsula for over half a century.
In addition to the goal of getting as many kilometers as possible out of the battery pack, this means that the vehicle does not set any speed records on the 1,141-mile course, of which 893 miles are off-road.
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A VW spokesman said the typical pace was 20-25 mph on the first day, but that the ID.4, driven jointly by Tanner Foust and Emme Hall, reached 95 mph on a flat lake bed. The final time of five hours and 25 minutes on the 168-mile stage was about two and a half hours behind the leader.
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The team’s goal is to cover approximately 98% of each stage without charging, and a truck with a portable charger is used to complete the route.
However, the vehicle had to recover from deep sand for a long time on the second day and was unable to meet the minimum time for the course.
Electric truck maker Lordstown Motors recently had some trouble getting into one of its endurance pickups at the San Felipe 250 in Baja, but was unable to reach its charging points and travel the entire distance due to more energy being used off-road than expected .
VW has not announced any plans for an off-road version of the ID.4. but will add an all-wheel drive version to the range later this year.
