Audi e-tron ushers in electromobility at Dakar Rally

All three electrified Audi RS Q e-tron mastered the world’s toughest off-road race on their debut 

Audi has successfully conquered the legendary Dakar Rally, with all three electrified Audi RS Q e-tron racecars scoring four stage wins and 14 podium finishes between them. The team covered more than 24,000 kilometers cumulatively during this year’s running of the world’s toughest off-road race, held in Saudi Arabia from New Year’s Day until January 14. 

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Audi ushered in an energy revolution in the Dakar Rally by being the first auto manufacturer to contest for overall victory using cars with an electrified drivetrain. The three Audi RS Q e-tron racecars competed in the new T1 Ultimate class for low-emission vehicles, and have written history by winning stages in this category.

Comprising Audi’s team in the Dakar Rally were the driver pairings of Stephane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger, Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, and Mattias Ekstrom and Emil Bergkvist — who were the top-ranked finishers in the team.      

“Audi has lived up to its pioneering role in the Dakar Rally. For more than four decades, our brand has repeatedly impressed with its innovations in motorsport,” said Oliver Hoffmann, Audi Board Member for Technical Development. 

The experience gained in the Dakar Rally will be incorporated into the further development of Audi’s fully electric production e-tron models. Audi plans to have more than 20 fully and 10 partially electric models by 2025, and will only release fully electric vehicles by 2026, as part of its “e-volution,” or the company’s transformation into a leading provider of sustainable electromobility solutions. 

Audi’s e-tron range of fully electric vehicles is set for introduction in the Philippines. Soon to arrive in Audi Philippines’ showrooms are the Audi e-tron SUV, the e-tron GT four-door grand tourer, and the dynamic RS e-tron GT that is currently the flagship model — and the most powerful production car Audi has ever made — in the e-tron range.

The Audi e-tron SUV offers the space, comfort and utility of a full-size sport-utility vehicle, providing ample space for five people and their luggage. It is powered by two electric motors, outputting 408 PS and 664 Nm, that send power to an all-wheel drive quattro system. The fully electric SUV carries a five-star safety rating from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Euro NCAP, and is also named a Top Safety Pick+ by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

The Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT gran turismo four-door coupés also have an electric quattro all-wheel drive system receiving power from two electric motors fitted on the cars’ front and rear axles. The e-tron GT produces 476 PS and 630 Nm (and as much as 530 PS in overboost), while the flagship RS e-tron GT delivers 598 PS and 830 Nm (or a maximum output of 646 PS in overboost). 

All three e-tron models can travel more than 400 kilometers when fully charged.

Audi in 2021 doubled its product portfolio of fully electric models, launching to market more electric vehicles than conventional cars. Accelerating the brand’s transition toward electromobility, Audi’s deliveries of fully electric models increased by 57.5 percent last year.