Electric Audi Drives Spain to Prepare for Dakar Rally

Audi e-Tron is going to make an appearance in next year’s Dakar Rally, to be held January 2022.

What better time for the Audi Sport team came up with an idea: instead of just competing in the rally, why not take the Audi RS Q e-tron on an excruciating eight-day endurance.

Spain gets mighty hot this time of year, and has gruelling gravel roads, of the kind typically used in cross-country rallies.

The roll-out in Neuburg an der Donau on June 30 was an initial functional check for the innovative rally car. A test in the area of Magdeburg in mid-July was focused on gathering initial experiences on unpaved ground. Now the first test in realistic conditions followed at a test area near the Spanish city of Zaragoza.

Above: This Week 2021 LEXUS UX “Crafted Edition” FULL Review

Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel

Top GayCarBoys Stories:

ABOVE: Audi E-Tron driving in Spain (prior to Dakar Rally to be held in January 2022

The test took place in Aragon, of Katherine/Henry VIII fame. It saw all three of Audi Sport’s driver teams doing things to the Audi e-Tron that hadn’t been done before. Dakar record winner Stéphane Peterhansel and his co-driver Edouard Boulanger drove the first, from Friday to Sunday. Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist took over the Audi RS Q e-tron on Monday, and drove for the next two test days. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz concluded the intensive trials from Wednesday to Friday.

The three driver teams expressed their views without edit. They were so impressed with the handling and reliability of the stunning, futuristic SUV on the fast gravel sections. “For a first test in proper conditions for the car I’m really happy how the car behaves already,” said Carlos Sainz on behalf of his fellow drivers. “I had a really good feeling straight away. Of course, there is fine-tuning to be done – but the starting point is good.”

An average top speed of 112mph on the 10.5-mile long gravel sections, was extremely impressive. Modest temperatures of 34c in the shade, gave the cooling system a workout, and is something regularly experienced in an Australian Spring. Like Spain, Australia has extremes of temperature that many vehicles will have to cope with, and often don’t.

“This test was focused on getting in as much driving as possible and detecting weak spots,” development engineer Arnau Niubó Bosch said after more than 1,000 test miles in extremely harsh conditions. “The next test in September will take us into the dunes for the first time.”

The all-electric Audi RS Q e-tron has two motor-generator units (MGU) used in Formula E. The high-voltage battery that has been newly developed by Audi Sport is recharged while driving via an energy converter consisting of the efficient TFSI engine from the DTM and another MGU. This range-extender set-up is ideal for rallying, with an umbilical to the 19^th C fossil fuel industry for those who can’t yet make that leap.