Audi: With Power Stromer to the Dakar 🎥
THERE'S A LOT OF COURAGE With the hybrid four-wheel-drive Audi RS Q e-tron, the Q Motorsport factory team plans to compete in the Dakar Rally in January 2022 with drivers Carlos Sainz Sr, Stephane Peterhansel and Mattias Ekström. The Dakar Rally marathon event lasts two weeks, with daily stages up to 800 kilometers long. As the first automobile manufacturer, the [...]
The marathon event Dakar Rally lasts two weeks, the daily stages are up to 800 kilometers long.
The four rings want to be the first automaker to use an electrified powertrain in combination with an efficient energy converter to fight against conventionally powered competitors for overall victory in the world's toughest rally.
Start of a new era of the Dakar Rally
Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi: "The quattro was a gamechanger for the World Rally Championship. Audi was the first brand to win at the Le Mans 24 Hours with an electrified powertrain. Now we want to usher in a new era at the Dakar Rally and test and further develop our e-tron technology under extreme conditions."
Drive with complex hybrid system
A huge air scoop above the cockpit, a large air intake at the front and thin LED bands as headlights give the RS Q e-tron a futuristic look together with the dark paintwork and neon-orange rims.
Under the hood, a complex hybrid system with one gasoline and three motor-generator units provides the drive. On the one hand, the 2-liter four-cylinder turbo engine that Audi had used in its DTM cars until the end of 2020 is used.
Battery with 13 modules with 266 cells each
However, this does not drive the wheels, but an electric generator that charges the battery. This consists of 13 modules with 266 cells each, weighs a total of 375 kilograms and has a capacity of 52 kilowatt hours. It is powered not only by the generator but also by energy recuperated during braking.
500 kilowatt maximum system power
The actual drive consists of one electric motor each on the front and rear axles, which are not mechanically connected to each other. These come from the powertrain of the Formula E car and each has an output of 250 kilowatts (340 hp).
The maximum system output of the e-drive is 500 kilowatts. How much of this may be used during the Dakar Rally is still being finalized by the organizers.
Reaching the goal is his gift
Sven Quandt, Team Principal of the Q Motorsport factory team: "If we don't have any major problems in the first few months of testing, we would have achieved something quite unique and incredible. The goal is to finish this Dakar, anything else will be a gift. But I think we can have some surprises."
