Audi takes the RS Q e-tron into the heat and sand of Morocco

Audi Sport has brought the RS Q e-tron into the blistering sands and heat of Morocco for further testing.

The new round of trials comes after the one conducted in Germany and Spain with all three driver crews including Dakar record winner Stephane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekstrom taking turns at the wheel of the highly complex prototype.

Some of the conditions the test team encountered in Morocco were extreme. "The thermometer climbed to well over 40 degrees Celsius at times," says Sven Quandt, Team Principal of Q Motorsport.

"Sandstorms also hampered the testing. In addition, as expected, some new problems arose in the high temperatures, which repeatedly caused interruptions to the testing and needed to be solved before the next test."

The high-voltage battery, which was developed specifically for the Dakar Rally, is also a major topic. "It's all about optimum temperature management and being able to call up the battery's maximum performance," says Andreas Roos, Project Manager at Audi Sport. "This is where we are learning with every test. And that's exactly why we are going to the desert with an electrified drivetrain: We are gaining an incredible amount of experience that we are sharing with our colleagues from road car development."

The Audi RS Q e-tron features an electric drivetrain with two motor-generator units from Formula E. The high-voltage battery, newly developed by Audi Sport, is charged while driving via an energy converter consisting of an efficient TFSI engine from the DTM and another third motor-generator unit.