Audi RS Q e-tron
Tyres | BF Goodrich front/rear 37x12,5 R17 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Competition history | |||||||||
Notable entrants | Audi | ||||||||
Notable drivers | ,
Edouard Boulanger | ||||||||
First win | 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge | ||||||||
Last win | 2024 Dakar Rally | ||||||||
Last event | 2024 Dakar Rally | ||||||||
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The Audi RS Q e-tron is an off-road competition car, built by
Development
It was mentioned as an unnamed prototype during the 2020-12-11 announcement of Q Motorsport becoming Audi factory team.[2]
Specifications
The Dakar 2022 RS Q e-tron includes:
- Two electric motors from Audi's Formula E program, one on each axle, for a combined power of under 288 kilowatts (386 hp).[3]
- Energy converter maximum charging power of 220 kilowatts (300 hp).[4]
- A TFSI engine rated approximately 200 kilowatts (270 hp).[5]
The car is described as brutal to drive, because of the sharp acceleration of its electric engine and the rigidity of its seats. Stéphane Peterhansel described the driving as "A boxing match from start to finish" during the 2023 Dakar Rally, raising fear of concussion for crews.[6]
Competition history
On 30 November 2020, Audi announced their intent to compete in the Dakar Rally,[7] and during the announcement on 11 December, in which Q Motorsport became Audi's factory team.[2] Three crews of Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger and Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist would drive the car.
On 23 July 2021, Audi unveiled the RS Q e-tron, an offroad racer intended to compete in the 2022 Dakar Rally.[8][9] The car was quick but navigation errors from all 3 crews meant they lost hours of time on the first day. They even had many mechanical issues. Still, all 3 drivers won a stage, with Sainz winning SS11 as well making it 4 stage wins on debut.[10]
At the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Peterhansel and Boulanger made history by winning the event and giving the RS Q e-tron its first win, and the first win for an electric vehicle in a rally raid.[11]
At the 2024 Dakar Rally, Carlos Sainz took the RS Q e-tron's first Dakar win which was helped by the new technical director, Dr. Pascali Leonardo.
Leonardo went on to describe the win as, the “best professional experience of my life.[12]”[13]
Complete Dakar Rally results
Year | Team | Class | No. | Driver, Codriver | Position | Stages won |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Audi Q Motorsport | T1-E | 200 | Stéphane Peterhansel Édouard Boulanger |
Ret | 1 |
202 | Carlos Sainz Lucas Cruz |
12th | 2 | |||
224 | Mattias Ekström Emil Bergkvist |
9th | 1 | |||
2023 | Team Audi Sport | T1.U | 204 | Stéphane Peterhansel Édouard Boulanger |
Ret | 0 |
207 | Carlos Sainz Lucas Cruz |
Ret | 1 | |||
224 | Mattias Ekström Emil Bergkvist |
14th | 1 | |||
2024 | Team Audi Sport | T1.U | 202 | Stéphane Peterhansel Édouard Boulanger |
30th | 1 |
204 | Carlos Sainz Lucas Cruz |
1st | 0 | |||
207 | Mattias Ekström Emil Bergkvist |
26th | 2 |
References
- ^ Beckford, Andrew (2022-09-02). "Already Wild Audi RS Q E-Tron E2 Rally Car Gets Wilder, Cuts Weight for Bout in Dakar". Motor Trend. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ a b "Project Dakar: Q Motorsport becomes Audi factory team". www.audi-mediacenter.com.
- ^ Technical Data: Audi RS Q e-tron
- ^ Rallye Dakar: The high-voltage battery in the Audi RS Q e-tron
- ^ Staying cool: Complex cooling systems for the Dakar Rally in the Audi RS Q e-tron
- ^ Bourret, Jérôme (2024-01-10). "Le casse-tête des commotions" [The headache of concussions]. L'Équipe (in French). No. 25350. p. 23. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
- ^ "Audi to compete in Dakar Rally". www.audi-mediacenter.com.
- ^ Miller, Caleb (2021-07-23). "671-HP Audi RS Q e-tron Is an Electrified Dakar Rally Racer". Car and Driver. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Audi RS Q e-tron: Test laboratory for possible future technologies at the Dakar Rally
- ^ "Audi RS Q e-tron at the Dakar Rally: Successful start into a new era". Audi MediaCenter. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
- ^ "Emotional first victory in the desert: Audi RS Q e-tron wins in Abu Dhabi". Audi MediaCenter. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
- ^ https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/audi-rs-q-e-tron-for-2024-innovative-prototype-with-many-new-details-15738/download
- ^ "Oldest Dakar winner Sainz takes his fourth title at 61". Reuters. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
External links
- Press kit: RS Q e-tron (*This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.)