Volkswagen is building an electric supercar to tackle Pikes Peak

Last month, Volkswagen laid out a roadmap for its EV rollout, promising 300 zero-emissions vehicles by 2030. While it's certainly good PR to move the company beyond its lingering diesel scandal, it also follows other automakers that recently committed to electric vehicle fleets. But to really seal the deal, VW has a new stunt in the works: It's creating an all-electric sportscar for next June's Pikes Peak high-altitude race in Colorado.

Volkswagen is partnering with Technical Development in Wolfsburg to build the all-wheel-drive prototype. The automaker hopes it will break the record for electric racers on the course, which was set at eight minutes 57.118 seconds in 2016. Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is 12.4 miles long, with a nearly 5,000-foot climb to top out at a maximum elevation of over 14,000 feet above sea level.

"The Pikes Peak hill climb is one of the world's most renowned car races. It poses an enormous challenge and is therefore excellently suited to proving the capabilities of upcoming technologies," Volkswagen board member Dr Frank Welsch said in a press release. "Our electric race car will be equipped with innovative battery and drive technology. The extreme stress test on Pikes Peak will give us important findings that will benefit future development, and it will showcase our products and their technologies."