Audi debuted its Dakar 2023 challenger on the Morocco Rally (October 1 to 6). The RS Q e-tron E2 was running to 2023 regulations consequently the three entries were ineligible for classification.

The E2 is a revamp of Audi’s 2022 Dakar machine, which won four stages but had reliability issues and saw the best placed finish ninth overall. Weight was a handicap and the E2 is many kilos lighter at the 2100 kg 2023 minimum (compared to 2000 kg this year). Top speed remains by regulation 170 kph (105mph) while the 2023 rules have taken 30 kW from the power output.

Weight has primarily been saved from the chassis with the new look vehicle more compact. No single body element is retained and there has been a 15% drag reduction in spite of the need to widen the cockpit as per 2023 regulations.

The weight challenge reflects the fact that the car has a complex hybrid powertrain system. This is fundamentally unchanged for the E2. Audi uses a 2.0 litre I4 turbo DTM engine to help keep the battery charged, along with regenerative braking. The battery weighs about 370 kg and has a capacity of around 50 kWh. The electrical power is deployed through Audi Formula E MGUs.

Only one forward gear is required. The front and rear axles are not mechanically connected, and the control software distributes torque between the axles and thus creates a virtual (and freely configurable) centre differential.

On this year’s Dakar there were unwanted power surges when the wheels left the ground and due to this a software update has set a power limit for each motor, which is recalculated within milliseconds keeping motor operation precisely to the permissible limit. Running on the Morocco Rally validated this and other powertrain control improvements. Also investigated were aspects such as battery’s state of charge under extreme stress.