Audi returns to Rally Dakar For the second consecutive year, and like the last edition, it relies on the innovative Audi RS Q e-tron with electric propulsion. After analyzing endless data and experiences, and the valuable feedback of its experienced starting pilots -Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekström and Stephane Peterhansel- the brand’s engineers got down to work to develop the second evolution of the RS Q e-tron.
On the work table was improve not only performancebut also the efficiency of a car that had already achieved exceptionally low energy consumption for a Dakar car.
The result of all this work is the Audi RS Q e-tron “E2”, a powerful evolution of a car that had already shown its competitiveness from day one.
This prototype sports a completely new bodywork, which has not kept a single piece compared to its predecessor. In order to comply with the interior dimensions indicated by the regulations, the passenger compartment – which was previously in a very high position in relation to the height of the roof – is now significantly wider. The front and rear hoods have been redesigned, and the front part of the fenders that they were behind the front wheel arches and that formed the transition to the gate, a structure that was known internally as “elephant’s foot”. The aerodynamic redesign has resulted in a reduction of around 15% of the total drag (the product of the drag coefficient and the frontal area).
The new body components that replace the previous spare wheel covers are easily removable. Coupled with new, easier to handle ten-spoke Rotiform wheels, it makes wheel changes faster and safer.
Audi has done extensive work to reduce the weight of the RS Q e-tron, a key factor in improving its performance and efficiency. E2 version has ‘lost’ several tens of kilos thanks to the optimization of the fabric layers of the composite materials. Another beneficial side effect of this evolution has been the lowering of the center of gravity. This year’s car weighs 90 kilos less, although the competition regulations penalize cars with alternative propulsion technologies -such as the RS Q e-tron-, which have to weigh 100 kilos more than the rest.
Work has also been done on the development of other aspects that affect driving. Inside the cockpit, the screens and controls have been restructured, which have been regrouped into four menus with the aim of making a selection of functions easier and more efficient during the race.
In search of maximum efficiency
Along with reducing weight and improving aerodynamics, the third factor that has improved overall efficiency is optimization of the electronic control system. This system is in charge of managing the energy of the sophisticated propulsion system of the RS Q e-tron, made up of two electric motors -one on each axis-, a 52 KWh high-voltage battery and an internal combustion engine that recharges the battery while driving.
For the toughest conditions
This optimization has been very important, since Audi detected during the last Dakar situations in which excess power was produced of short duration when the wheels had less contact with the ground, such as when jumping or rolling over uneven terrain. The FIA stewards impose sporting penalties when the threshold of 2 kilojoules of excess energy is exceeded. Now, the software recalculates in milliseconds two individual limits, one for each engine. As a result, the system works accurately and within the permitted limits.
The icing on the cake of this sustainable cocktail is the use, for the first time, of renewable fuels (reFuels), which are based on the use of waste and do not include the use of food products. This fuel is used by the power converter, whose combustion engine operates at high compression – and therefore very efficiently – to supply electricity to the electric propulsion system. Thanks to this, the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 reduces its carbon dioxide emissions by 60% compared to last year’s car.