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THE DAKAR VERSION OF AUDI'S RS Q E-TRON SHREDS FROZEN LAKES TOO!

Published: 2022-05-11 11:32:28 Last Updated: 2022-05-11 12:19:28

There was much hype by Audi when it entered a trio of their Audi RS E-tron racecars in the famed Dakar Rally. Much fanfare was centred around the fact that electric vehicle technologies could be used in racecars that are subjected to the most extreme of environments. There was some very clever marketing that made people think that the electric setups carried the cars for miles, but it was only for the cameras that the electric motor was used, as soon as the cars crested hills out of site the purr of a gasoline engine was heard. Of course, this is how it has to be for now as there aren’t any recharging stations scattered around the desert, but it’s clear that as electric vehicle technology advances, longer and longer distances will be covered before needing to swap over to a combustion engine. This is why they’re currently referred to as Range Extender EVs.

The RS Q E-Tron features a 52 kWh battery pack and it’s charged through what has to be the world’s most expensive generator - a turbocharged 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder powerplant sourced from a 2020 RS5 DTM that’s capable of pushing out a massive 600 hp, but in this case, it’s set up for efficiency and not outright power and it now only uses 200g of fuel for each kWh it generates. That’s still a lot of fuel though. This power feeds dual electric motors that can create up to 300 kW (402 hp). A 3rd electric motor does duty as a generator that runs consistently at 6 000 rpm to generate 220 kW. All combined the Audi RS Q E-tron can rocket from 0 - 100 km/h in just 4.5-seconds and tops out at a limited 170 km/h top speed to comply with Dakar regulations.

This time instead of creating 20-foot sand rooster tails, the Audi RS Q E-tron was set to kick up clouds of ice and snow when it was presented to our man Ken Block by the man who piloted one in Dakar, Mattias Ekström. After a quick crash course in how the technologically-advanced purpose-built racecar control work and what the different systems do and how they operate, Block was able to shred Austria’s Zell am See frozen lake. Ken says he loves his job, well we love Ken’s job too.

Take a look at the YouTube video where our man Ken Block gets to drive the Audi RS Q e-tron on an ice lake proving that it doesn’t matter the temperature of terrain, the Audi owns it: Ken Block slays ice in Dakar Stage Winning Audi RS Q e-tron! | Ken Block

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Article Tags: Cars Frozen Cold Speed Testing SXdrv Ice Lake Dakar Electric E-tron 43 Ken Block Audi