Audi’s Path to Dakar Victory: Innovation and Heritage Unite in Audi RS Q e-tron

[Source: Jalopnik]

Audi is no stranger when it comes to innovating to win races. The Audi R10 TDI was the first diesel powered car to win 24 Hours of Le Mans. So, it should not have surprised anyone that the Audi RS Q e-tron was the first electric vehicle to win the Dakar Rally. But as Jalopnik points out, how Audi constructed the race winning machine is a bit unorthodox.

As you likely already know, the Dakar Rally is one of the most grueling races in the world. When the Audi RS Q e-tron took the victory in 2024 it covered roughly 4,900 miles. That is about 1,500 miles further than a car covers during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And unlike the Circuit de la Sarthe, the Dakar Rally course includes sand dunes, jagged rocks, dry riverbeds and just about every other type of hostile terrain you can imagine.

Build Details

So, how do you build an EV that is fast enough and rugged enough to conquer this race? Audi used both innovation as well as some good old fashioned, tried and true technology. Together they combined to make the RS Q e-tron unbeatable. Eventually.

Audi took the RS Q e-tron to the Dakar for the first time in 2022. Powering the racing machine were two Audi MGU05 motors that were taken from Audi Formula E race cars. One motor was placed on each axle. They provided good power and instant torque but there was a problem. Some race stages are over 600 miles long. The 52-kWh battery would be dead before it could cover that distance.

Audi decided to take a 2.0L, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, borrowed from an Audi DTM race car, and use it as a generator. When battery power was running low the gasoline engine would kick in and begin to charge it back up again. Brilliant.

Race Results

In the 2022 race the Audi team was quick and they managed to win a few stages but could do no better than 9th place overall. In 2023 they brought an upgraded E2 version of the e-tron to the race. The E2 was lighter, more efficient and more aerodynamic. But tire punctures and crashes meant Audi could only muster a 14th place finish.

In 2024, it all came together. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz won the race with a lead of one hour and twenty minutes over the second-place team. It was a dominating performance. It was also the final performance. Audi pulled the plug and quickly focused their attention to the Formula 1 team. With a dominating performance at Dakar and a stack of Le Mans wins under their belt, don’t be surprised to see Audi come out strong in Formula 1 in 2026. This team knows how to win.