VW turned to long-time partner Bridgestone to develop the tyres for its battery-powered ID.R race car when it planned to set a new lap record at the fearsome Nurburgring track in Germany.

The tyres had to be developed for the ID.R’s particular characteristics. As with any electric car but magnified in the case of the VW, the tyres had to be able to cope with the enormous torque being put through them so they had to be very strong in a longitudinal direction. At the same time, the floor level centre of gravity from the knee high car with its batteries mounted at its lowest point and stickiness of the slick racing tyres generates enormous grip so they have to withstand the lateral forces generated in bends too.

The Bridgestone Motorsports team tested and developed a set of exclusive Potenza slicks for the ID.R. – in just five months – and with racing driver Romain Dumas at the wheel the emissions-free 680 PS VW was able to smash the previous record for electric cars by more than 40 seconds with an average speed of 129 mph.

Both companies say some of the lessons learnt will be transferred to the rapidly evolving EV market for road cars.

Mark Tejedor, Vice President Original Equipment at Bridgestone EMEA, said: “We’re so proud to be part of this historical moment and contribute to the record on the Nurburgring. Reducing CO2 emissions and improving natural resource preservation are essential pillars of ‘Our Way to Serve’, the Bridgestone sustainability strategy. It’s great to work on a project that not only contributes to bringing those to life but does so in a world record time. Just a few short years ago, no one would have predicted that EVs could achieve something like this. Our next step will be to apply the findings from this amazing partnership to EVs on the roads to benefit all drivers.”