The Audi RS Q e-tron: the start of a series of tests at the Dakar Rally to test and develop technologies

A year after the first idea appeared, Audi Sport began testing a carRS Q e-tron The new one, through which you will face one of the biggest challenges in international racing in January 2022: the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.

Audi intends to be the first car company to use a highly efficient electric drivetrain with a transducer in order to compete for victory against other conventionally-engined cars in the world's toughest race. “The quattro system changed the race in the World Rally Championship, and Audi was the first company to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an electric drive,” said Julius Seebach, CEO of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi. . Now we want to enter a new era in the Dakar Rally, with the e-tron technologies being tested and developed under extreme racing conditions.” "The RS Q e-tron was built on paper in record time and embodies the motto of progress through technology," he added.

Carsten Bender, Managing Director of Audi Middle East, said: “The Dakar Rally has become one of the most popular motorsport events in the world thanks to its rich history and prestige among international races, and we are delighted that the race is being held in the Middle East. We look forward to participating in this pioneering race, where the RS Q e-tron can showcase its unparalleled innovative technologies in the unique climate of the Middle East.”

The unique characteristics of the Dakar Rally present great challenges to the engineers, as the race lasts for two weeks, with daily stages up to 800 kilometres. "This is a very long distance," said Andreas Ross, project lead for the Dakar at Audi Sport. "What we're trying to do here hasn't happened before, and it's the biggest challenge facing the electric drive," he added.

Audi chose an innovative idea to counteract the inability to charge the car's battery in the desert: the RS Q e-tron is equipped with the highly efficient TFSI engine used in the German Touring Car Championship, which is part of the transducer that charges the high-voltage battery while driving. Because this combustion engine operates very efficiently in the 4,500-6,000 rpm range, the specific consumption is well below 200 g/kWh.

The RS Q e-tron comes equipped with an electric drivetrain. Both the front and rear axles include the alternator/engine unit used in the current e-tron FE07 Formula E car developed by Audi Sport for the 2021 season, but with minor modifications to suit the Dakar Rally requirements.

In terms of exterior design, the RS Q e-tron differs greatly from the traditional Dakar rally cars. "The car has a sophisticated, futuristic design and has many of the elements of typical Audi design," said Juan Manuel Diaz, Head of the Audi Racing Design Team. “Our goal was to embody the slogan of progress through technology and express the future of our brand,” he added.

It is noteworthy that the participation in the Dakar Rally coincides with the establishment of the “Q Motorsport” team. Team principal Sven Quandt said: "Audi has always chosen bold new ideas for its racing, but I think the RS Q e-tron is one of the most advanced cars I've ever met." He added: “The electric drive system means that many different systems have to communicate with each other. That point, together with reliability - which is extremely important in the Dakar Rally - is the biggest challenge we face in the coming months.”

Quandt likened the Audi project in Dakar to the first landing on the moon. And if we complete our first Dakar Rally to the end, we will have succeeded.”

The RS Q e-tron prototype made its debut in Newburgh at the beginning of July. The Audi agenda from now until the end of the year includes an extensive testing program and the first test for participation in cross-country rally races.