The goal this year is to jump ahead and fight for victory in the toughest race in the world.
Audi returns to
Dakar rally For the second year running, he relies on the innovative Audi RS Q e-tron with electric drive, just like the previous edition. After analyzing endless data and experiences, and the valuable feedback from its experienced starting pilots
-Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekström and Stéphane Peterhansel- the brand’s engineers set to work developing the second evolution of the RS Q e-tron.
Was on the work table
not just improve 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 proven its competitiveness from day one.
This prototype has a completely new body, which has not retained any part compared to its predecessor. To comply with the internal dimensions specified by the regulations, the passenger compartment, which was previously located in a very high position in relation to the height of the ceiling, is now considerably wider. The front and rear hoods have been redesigned, as have the front part of the fenders
they were behind the front wheel arches and that formed the transition to the gate, a structure known internally as “elephant foot”. The aerodynamic redesign has resulted in a reduction of approximately 15% in total drag (the product of drag coefficient and frontal area).
The new body components that replace the previous spare wheel covers are easy to remove. Combined with new, easier-to-handle 10-spoke Rotiform wheels, it makes wheel changes quicker and safer.
Audi has done a lot of work to reduce the weight of the RS Q e-tron, a key factor in improving 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 is the lowering of the center of gravity. This year’s car weighs 90kg less, although competition rules penalize cars with alternative propulsion technologies – such as the RS Q e-tron – which must weigh 100kg more than the rest.
Work has also been done on the development of other aspects that influence driving. In the cockpit, the screens and controls have been restructured, which have been regrouped into four menus with the aim of making in-race feature selection easier and more efficient.
In addition to reducing weight and improving aerodynamics, the third factor that has improved overall efficiency
optimization of the electronic control system. This system is responsible for managing the energy of the RS Q e-tron’s advanced propulsion system, consisting of two electric motors -one on each axle-, a 52 KWh high-voltage battery and an internal combustion engine that charges the battery while driving.
This optimization has been very important, as Audi discovered during the last Dakar situations where
excess power was produced short-lived 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 two individual limits in milliseconds, one for each motor. As a result, the system works accurately and within the allowed 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 exclusively
the use of food products. This fuel is used by the power converter, whose internal combustion engine operates at high compression – and therefore very efficiently – to supply electricity to the electric drive system. As a result, the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 reduces its carbon dioxide emissions by 60% compared to last year’s car.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
