International adventure driver Rainer Zietlow and a Volkswagen ID.4 GTX crossover equipped with Tenneco’s Monroe Intelligent Suspension CVSAe technology recently completed a world record-setting climb of the South American stratovolcano Cerro Uturuncu.
Zietlow on May 18 piloted the all-wheel-drive ID.4 up an unpaved mine road to reach an elevation of 5,816 meters (19,081 feet), establishing the Guinness World Records title for the highest altitude achieved in an all-electric passenger vehicle. Uturuncu is a dormant volcano located in the Sur Lípez province of Bolivia.
Zietlow’s ID.4 GTX is virtually identical to ID.4 models available through Volkswagen dealers. The car’s CVSAe semi-active suspension, commercially available both on ID.4 crossovers and ID.3 hatchbacks, continuously adapts to changing road conditions based on data provided by multiple onboard ride control sensors. Drivers can choose their preferred driving mode, from comfort-intensive to sporty, through an in-cabin controller.
“Our aim was to demonstrate that electromobility can perform well even at extreme altitudes,” said Zietlow, who now holds five Guinness World Records titles.
The driver and his three-person support team used the Enel X Way wall box network to recharge the vehicle during its route from Argentina to the base camp in Bolivia. The team scouted multiple South American mountains to locate a trail that would enable them to break the previous record of 5,771 meters (18,933 feet) without relying on a winch and other auxiliary equipment.
Monroe Intelligent Suspension-equipped ID.4 models have earned multiple honors, including being named the 2021 World Car of the Year. Zietlow recently completed a 97-day, 35,770-mile (57,554-kilometer) trek across the U.S., setting the Guinness World Records title for longest journey by an electric vehicle in a single country.
“CVSAe technology elevates the driving experience, whether in a city environment or on more adventurous terrain – and it doesn’t get more adventurous than climbing a volcano,” said Henrik Johansson, vice president and general manager, Advanced Suspension Technologies. “We congratulate Rainer and our friends at Volkswagen AG, and share in their great pride in the many impressive achievements of the ID.4.”
