The electric Audi driven by Carlos Sainz. /
Dakar 2022
One of the great technical novelties that Sainz will have to deal with in his first ‘electric’ Dakar will be energy management
Carlos Sainz knows well that the Dakar, unlike circuit competitions and many rallies, requires more patience than speed. Knowing when to go 80 km / h instead of 120 km / h can prevent accidents, breakages and premature abandonments, especially in the stages with more navigation between the dunes.
The electricity factor joins the usual resource management this year. The Audi RS Q e-Tron that the Matador will drive with Lucas Cruz at his side will force us to take into account the energy they have at all times and how to recover it, especially on longer days. To do this, it will have four batteries (370 kilos in total) that will be recharged when braking. Something similar to what happens in Formula 1 with the KERS, the prototype that Sainz will take in Arabia from January 1 will require a different approach in the way of driving.
The complex system of power generators, positioned independently on the front and rear axles, will allow there to always be a load on the engine, even on the longest stages. It will never go below 52 kWh, nor will it go above 288 kWh of power.
Audi is by no means new in this regard. Already in the last years that they contested the World Endurance Championship, with the 24 hours of Le Mans, they had electric prototypes, which were later perfected in Formula E. This experience has allowed the engineers to design, based on this, the prototypes to be carried by Sainz, Peterhansel and Ekstrom. Will it be enough to power the Toyota army, big favorites?
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