The “Silk Road” before Tianmen Mountain for Volkswagen and the ID. R

With a view to promoting its electric technology, and therefore alternative modes of propulsion to fossil energy, Volkswagen Motorsport has chosen a mode of transport that is as environmentally friendly as possible to send the equipment necessary for the climb of Mount Tianmen next September in China.

The Volkswagen ID will be transported by train, following the legendary route of the Silk Road. R, who will make the record attempt for the climb to the Porte du Paradis with Romain Dumas at the wheel.

11 km, between Hamburg in Germany and Chongqing in China, will therefore be covered by four containers, two 000 m and two 12 m, in the space of three weeks. A certain delay, but which will reduce, compared to the same plane transport, CO6 emissions by 2% and sulfur dioxide by 85%.

“The records set at Pikes Peak, the Nürburgring and the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​demonstrate the remarkable work our engineers have accomplished, underlines Sven Smeets, director of Volkswagen Motorsport.

However, they are not the only ones contributing to this project with surprising and intelligent solutions: our logistics experts also offer innovative ideas.

For the first time in Volkswagen's 50-year motorsport history, a racing vehicle will be transported to its destination by train. This significantly contributes to making the Tianmen Mountain record attempt as environmentally friendly as possible. »

The route will thus pass through Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and China before arriving at its destination. The convoy will be monitored by GPS and sensors will regularly send data to check, in particular, the temperature and humidity in the containers.

Finally, note that the generator used by Volkswagen Motorsport at the foot of Mount Tianmen to recharge the ID's batteries. R will use glycerin instead of diesel.