If Audi's approach to its e-tron road cars looked a little unoriginal - just make more SUVs, now with batteries - then its electric motorsport strategy is about to get a whole lot more interesting. This is the RS Q e-tron, and it's going to race at the Dakar in January. Audi wants to be the first manufacturer to compete for outright victory on the world's toughest event using an electrified powertrain; given Audi's rally heritage, you wouldn't bet against it...
Note that's an electrified powertrain, however, not just electric. Even Audi hasn't yet created a battery that deal with a two-week event, stages of up to 500 miles in a day and charging in the desert. There probably won't ever be any need for that. Instead the RS Q e-tron is a very elaborate range extender, using the 2.0-litre petrol engine from a DTM car to charge the battery (there must be a few lying around now Audi quit). That then supplies a pair of electric motors - or Motor Generator Units (MGUs) to use the technical term - on each axle, borrowed almost wholesale from the Audi Formula E car. A third MGU exists as part of the engine's energy converter and can charge the battery while driving. Audi says that the MGUs only had to be slightly modified for this installation from Formula E, and that running the petrol engine at its most efficient means less than 200 grams of CO2 per kWh of electricity produced. The battery itself is said to be "around 50kWh" and weighs 370kg. A maximum power of 500kW - 680hp - is already being suggested, though it isn't clear yet how much power the Dakar authorities will allow the RS Q e-tron to use on the event.
Furthermore, with the obvious EV issue addressed, this layout appears to have advantages for rally raid events. Software can direct power between axles rather than a heavy, cumbersome centre diff; similarly, just one gear reduces complexity and space requirements. Less to go wrong is certainly an advantage when it comes to the Dakar.
Tell you what else is an advantage for Dakar legend status: looking like a film prop from Fast & Furious meets Mad Max. In space. Apparently, this RS Q e-tron features "many design elements that are typical of Audi", which seemingly extends to four rings on the front and a windscreen. It's truly outrageous, with a roof scoop that might ingest birds of prey, a central carbon fin towering behind, wheel so far at each corner they're beyond each corner and bodywork that's more desert luge than car. Oh yeah, and there's a rear light bar so it's a bit more like an Audi.
"Audi has always chosen new and bold paths in racing, but I think this is one of the most complex cars that I have ever seen," said team principal Sven Quandt. "The electric drivetrain means that a lot of different systems have to communicate with each other. Besides reliability, which is paramount in the Dakar Rally, that's our biggest challenge in the coming months." If it can be made to work in a Skoda Fabia rally car...
Naturally, Audi is being very coy about its prospects for now. The RS Q e-tron project only kicked off 12 months ago, and 2020 really wasn't the year to embark upon a game-changing rally car mission. Let's not forget that January 2022 really isn't far off, either. So testing is under way and the team are talking about just finishing will be a momentous achievement. But at the end of the day this is an Audi rally car - they'll want to win, and win sooner rather than later. Something that looks this awesome deserves to do well, especially with novel technology on board - we'll be following its progress with interest.
1 / 10
