Back in November 2020, Audi announced its intention to take part in the famous Dakar rally in 2022. The German manufacturer has now announced the start of testing the Audi RS Q e-tron off-road hybrid vehicle.
Moreover, Audi hopes to be the first electric vehicle manufacturer not only to participate in the Dakar, but also to win this rally.
The automaker notes that the Audi RS Q e-tron poses one of the toughest challenges for engineers. The marathon lasts two weeks, and the length of the daily stages reaches 800 kilometers. Andreas Roos, responsible for the Dakar project at Audi Sport, said:
This is a very long distance. What we are trying to do has never been done before. This is the biggest challenge for an electric transmission. ”
Since there is no way to charge in the desert, the Audi RS Q e-tron is powered by a highly efficient TFSI racing engine that charges the battery while on the move. As noted by Audi, the combustion engine operates in a particularly efficient range between 4500 and 6000 rpm and the fuel consumption is less than 200 grams per kWh.
The transmission of the Audi RS Q e-tron is fully electric. The front and rear axles are equipped with the same electric motors used in the Audi e-tron FE07 Formula E, developed by Audi Sport for the 2021 season and only slightly adapted for new tasks. The battery weighs about 370 kg and has a capacity of about 50 kWh.
In the future, the Audi RS Q e-tron technology is planned to be used in serial electric vehicles. Electric cars have already participated in the Dakar more than once. The first electric car to complete the rally in 2017 was the Acciona prototype.
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