Highlights
A Hybrid Contender in the Dakar Rally: RS Q e-tron
The Audi RS Q e-tron, whose concept version was introduced about a year ago, is preparing to represent the brand in the Dakar Rally. The vehicle, in which electric and internal combustion engines will work together, holds many clues about Audi's future models. With the RS Q e-tron, the German carmaker plans to become the first team to compete in the Dakar Rally with an electric drivetrain.
The German automaker, which had previously withdrawn from Formula E, where electric cars compete, causing rumors that it would completely withdraw from the organizations, will take part in the championship in 2022 with the Audi RSQ e-tron specially developed for the Dakar Rally. Audi, which will compete with a hybrid SUV in the Dakar Rally, where participants struggle in the harsh conditions of the desert and where endurance and planning are at the forefront, continues to "electrify" itself on every platform.
Audi RS Q e-tron to be First Electric Car at Dakar
Participants of the Dakar Rally, one of the competitions that lasts for days and pushes both racers and cars to the limit, have been competing with vehicles with internal combustion engines until today. Audi, which has announced that it will compete with an electric vehicle for the first time, raises questions in many people's minds about how strong Audi's hand is in terms of durability and continuity. According to Andreas Roos, Audi's name responsible for the Dakar Rally, the RS Q e-tron will make a big difference in the competition. Speaking on the subject, Roos 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 powertrain."
Audi RS Q e-tron to be Charged by a Gasoline Engine
The Audi RSQ e-tron will use two electric motors from the brand's Formula E car on its front and rear axles. The electric energy required for these motors will come from a 370-kilogram battery with a capacity of 50 kWh. It is still unknown how much of this power the car, which will produce 671 hp, will use in the competition. Audi will also install a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine in the RS Q e-tron, as charging is very limited in the desert. This gasoline engine, together with an energy recycling system, will charge the electric power units.
Stating that it will be in the racing world for many years with the Audi RSQ e-tron, the company shared photos of the vehicle that will compete in Dakar and hinted that it will return to Le Mans. Sven Quandt, the boss of Q Motorsport, the German manufacturer's partner in the Dakar, spoke more cautiously about the RSQ e-tron. "Our goal is to finish the first Dakar Rally," said Quandt; "Everything else will be extra. But that doesn't mean there won't be a few surprises."