The Volkswagen group’s want to crush data with electrified automobiles now extends to one of many world’s hardest off-road challenges. Autoblog reports that Audi has started testing the RS Q E-Tron, a from-scratch hybrid off-roader it hopes will rating general victory within the 2022 Dakar Rally. If so, it might be the primary electrified automobile to win the gruelling competitors.
The RS Q E-Tron depends on an electrical drivetrain with two modified Formula E motors, one at every axle. As you will not discover a charging station in the course of the desert, nonetheless, Audi makes use of a race-ready TFSI engine as a part of an power converter that costs the battery whereas driving and braking. This is not a zero-emissions automobile, then, however it stays in a comparatively environment friendly energy band (between 4,500RPM and 6,000RPM) that ought to scale back the racer’s environmental affect.
The machine needs to be extremely adaptable, too. Unlike many EVs, the entrance and rear axles aren’t mechanically related — software program handles torque distribution as a substitute. That not solely permits for an simply reconfigurable heart differential, however saves the majority that might usually be used for a traditional differential and propshaft.
Audi plans to enter the machine into a number of cross-country rallies in 2021 earlier than collaborating within the Dakar Rally in January.
If Audi is profitable, the RS Q E-Tron will make a stronger case for eco-friendly endurance racing. While not a pure EV, it should deal with extraordinarily lengthy phases (as much as 500 miles) with a considerably lowered emissions footprint. It additionally will not shock you to listen to that Audi needs extra than simply bragging rights. It expects classes discovered from the automobile to achieve manufacturing automobiles. We would not depend on one thing with an identical drivetrain when the VW group is transitioning to EVs, however it’s straightforward to think about electrical SUVs and crossovers which are better-suited to off-roading.
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