Audi revealed its plan to enter an electric car in the notorious Dakar Rally in 2022 at the end of last year. We've had so much time since that news that we've almost forgotten about it. Until today, that is, when the Germans revealed the true nature of their vehicle.
The e-Tron emblem is, of course, used on an electrified device. It is not an all-electric car, but rather a mix of technology that distinguishes it.
The RS Q e-wheels Tron’s spin thanks to motor-generator units (MGU) on both the front and back axles. Audi claims these are the identical MGUs that are being used on the e-Tron FE07 Formula E vehicle, with slight changes.
A high-voltage, 50 kWh battery is on board for energy demands, but it gets its electricity from a TFSI engine, the same technology Audi has been utilizing in another race, DTM.
The ICE, together with a third MGU, powers the battery, as does merely braking the car, owing to an energy recovery mechanism.
The 2022 Dakar Rally will take hold in Saudi Arabia in January, spanning two weeks and covering 800 kilometers.