Audi will compete in the next edition of the Dakar Rally, but preparations have already begun, apart from the fact that the competition will start in January 2022. The first prototype will be ready by the middle of this year, with the aim of starting the tests.
The person in charge of this new Audi Sport program will be Andreas Roos. The main attraction of the project is a new electric propulsion system prepared for the extreme conditions of the Dakar Rally. This new component will be complemented by the quattro traction, present for years in different models of the brand.
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“It is a great challenge for the whole team. We have a very tight schedule to test our innovative concept. We are the first car manufacturer to tackle the Dakar with an electric powertrain. We are working hard to be ready in time for the Dakar 2022,” said Roos.
Manufacturing features
The innovative prototype uses the motor-generator unit (MGU) of the electric single-seater that Audi has developed from scratch for the 2021 Formula E season. In the case of the Dakar model, three electric motors will be used.
Audi is also developing the high-voltage battery in-house. In Formula E, it is produced by a specific supplier for all teams. This time, the power to charge the battery is supplied by the four-cylinder TFSI engine used in the DTM.
Audi Sport is finishing production of the first prototype for the Dakar Rally in Neuburg an der Donau. The official presentation is scheduled for the end of June, followed by the world premiere in July. An intensive testing phase will then take place before the Dakar Rally, to be held in January 2022.
Written by I Jhonattan González
