By Otsile Kadiege

After being the first brand to win the Le Man 24 Hours with a race car powered by an electrified drivetrain, Audi Sport wants to usher in a new era in the Dakar Rally with the Audi RS Q e-tron which uses an electric drivetrain.

The Dakar Rally is a marathon event which lasts two weeks and the daily stages are up to 800 kilometers in length. So, Audi has come up with an innovative charging concept using a highly efficient TFSI engine sourced from DTM which is part of an energy converter that charges the high-voltage battery while driving. The drivetrain of the Audi RS Q e-tron is electric. The front and rear axles are both fitted with a motor-generator unit (MGU) from the current Audi e-tron FE07 Formula E car which have been modified for Dakar Rally. A third MGU, of identical design, is part of the energy converter and serves to recharge the high-voltage battery while driving. In addition, energy is recuperated during braking. The battery weighs about 370 kilograms and has a capacity of around 50 kWh.

The futuristic looking Audi RS Q e-tron’s e-drivetrain has a maximum system power of 500 kW. How much of this may be used during the Dakar Rally is still being finalized by the organisers.