Audi’s groundbreaking Audi RS Q e-tron won the Dakar Rally, making history. Last week, the German company created history by winning the dangerous Dakar Rally with an inventive range-extending EV.
The victory is the first time an electrified vehicle has won Dakar, perhaps the world’s most difficult event, since it began in 1978. This year’s arduous off-road endurance race took contestants on approximately 7,900 kilometers trek or roughly 4,900 miles through Saudi Arabia, racing across its inhospitable deserts and the famed, towering dunes of the Empty Quarter. After two weeks of racing, the Audi RS Q e-tron was triumphant.
The automaker’s winning squad, nicknamed “The Spaniards,” included of racers Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz. At 61 years old, Sainz Sr extends his record as the oldest Dakar Rally champion. The Spaniard’s fourth triumph makes him one of the most successful Dakar racers of all time.
Audi’s novel approach to off-road high performance is both futuristic and ecologically conscientious, with a high-voltage battery and an electric powertrain that employs an energy converter powered by reFuel, which cuts CO2 emissions.
Audi faced significant opposition from established brands like as Toyota and Ford, as well as experienced Prodrive teams, when entering this rally. The winning vehicle had a one-hour and twenty-minute advantage over the nearest contender. With a massive lead, the Audi RS Q e-tron’s 2024 Dakar Rally triumph will undoubtedly transform the racing world.
Source: Audi
