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In March 2022, the Audi RS Q e-tron 500 kW series-hybrid racer (earlier submit) gained its first desert rally in Abu Dhabi; now the following evolution is prepared. The revolutionary prototype, bearing the abbreviation E2, is considerably improved for the 2022 Morocco Rally and the 2023 Dakar Rally.
RS Q e-tron E2
The physique is totally new and options considerably enhanced aerodynamics. It helps decrease the prototype’s weight and heart of gravity. New working methods additional enhance the effectivity of the electrical drivetrain. Within the inside and when altering wheels, the motive force and co-driver profit from simpler operation.
The brand new Audi RS Q e-tron E2 (prime) and its predecessor (backside).
This marks the start of the second part of the event program. In October, Staff Audi Sport will put together for the 2023 Dakar Rally with the brand new prototype in Morocco.
The Audi RS Q e-tron E2 doesn’t undertake a single physique half from its predecessor.
—Axel Löffler, Chief Designer of the RS Q e-tron
As a way to adjust to the prescribed inside dimensions, the cockpit, which was beforehand narrowly recessed in the direction of the roof, is now considerably wider. The entrance and rear hoods have additionally been redesigned.
The brand new Audi RS Q e-tron E2 (left) and its predecessor (proper).
We are actually casting off the underflow of the rear hood to the left and proper of the B-pillars. Along with modified lay-ups, i.e. optimized material layers of the composite supplies, this answer reduces weight.
—Axel Löffler
The T1U prototypes must weigh 2,100 as an alternative of two,000 kilograms sooner or later. Provided that the primary technology of the RS Q e-tron was chubby, it was nonetheless mandatory to avoid wasting a number of dozen kilograms. That is accompanied by the decreasing of the automobile’s heart of gravity.
The aerodynamic idea within the space of the physique under the hoods is totally new. This part is nearly paying homage to the form of a ship’s hull: its widest level is on the top of the cockpit, whereas the physique tapers considerably in the direction of the entrance and rear. Audi has now distributed with the a part of the fenders that was behind the entrance wheels and fashioned the transition to the door. Internally, this construction was referred to as the “elephant foot.” In consequence, the designers saved extra weight and optimized the air stream.
The brand new cockpit dimensions imply that the physique has a bigger and subsequently much less favorable cross-section. Nonetheless, it was potential to scale back the general aerodynamic drag by round 15%—i.e. the product of the CD worth and the frontal space (A). This doesn’t change the highest pace. It stays restricted to 170 km/h within the rules.
The improved air stream additional reduces the power necessities of the electrically powered automotive, says Löffler. The Audi staff applied the aerodynamic calculations totally utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD). These laptop simulations exchange the time-consuming work within the wind tunnel and nonetheless ship extremely exact outcomes.
The electrical drivetrain of the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 includes an power converter consisting of an inner combustion engine and a generator, in addition to a high-voltage battery and the 2 electrical motors on the entrance and rear axles.
The digital management system of the advanced electrical drivetrain proved its price within the first rally occasions. Challenges solely arose in excessive instances. On the Dakar Rally, for instance, Audi famous short-term surpluses of energy in conditions the place the wheels made much less contact with the bottom whereas leaping or on uneven terrain. The officers of the FIA, the world car federation, intervene at a threshold of two kilojoules of extra power and impose sporting penalties.
By means of comparability, a couple of hundred instances the quantity of power flows to the motors per second inside the permissible limits. We may have made it straightforward on ourselves and set our threshold a number of kilowatts decrease, however that may have meant efficiency disadvantages. As a substitute, we put numerous fine-tuning into the facility controllers.
—Florian Semlinger, growth engineer for embedded software program, software and check bench
Two particular person limits—one for every motor—are actually recalculated by the software program inside milliseconds. In consequence, it operates exactly alongside the permissible restrict.
The auxiliary shoppers additionally profit from optimized management. The servo pump, the air-conditioning cooling pump and the followers have a measurable affect on the power stability.
In the midst of the debut season in 2022, the Audi and Q Motorsport rally staff gained priceless expertise that allows higher evaluation. The air-conditioning system, for instance, works so aggressively that it may trigger the coolant to freeze when continually working at its most output. Sooner or later, the system will run in an intermittent mode. This protects power, but the inside temperatures solely fluctuate barely, even over longer durations.
The working technique for the followers and the servo pump has additionally been optimized. For instance, the methods can now be regulated in another way for the decrease masses on the liaison phases than on the particular phases.
The cockpit shows are nonetheless within the driver’s discipline of view and situated within the heart console within the ordinary type, and the central change panel with its 24 fields has additionally been retained. Nevertheless, the engineers have restructured the shows and controls. The driving force and co-driver can now choose from 4 system areas utilizing a rotary change.
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The “Stage” theme accommodates all of the capabilities which are necessary whereas driving competitively—such because the pace limiter in sections with pace limits or the air jack.
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The “Street” half accommodates, for instance, flip indicators and the rear-view digicam, capabilities which are usually in demand on the liaison phases.
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The “Error” choice is used to detect, categorize and catalog errors.
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The “Settings” part consists of every part that’s helpful for the engineering staff throughout testing or after the automotive arrives on the bivouac—for instance, detailed temperatures of particular person methods.
Crews can now work rather more simply after a puncture. Easy, flat and simply detachable physique elements exchange the earlier cumbersome covers for the spare wheels within the flanks. The brand new ten-spoke rims from associate Rotiform are a lot simpler to deal with. Drivers and co-drivers can grip them extra simply and full the change extra safely.
Following preliminary testing led by Arnau Niubó Bosch, Head of Take a look at Engineering, Audi Sport unveiled the RS Q e-tron E2 in Neuburg an der Donau on 1 September. From 1 to six October, the brand new know-how must show itself in competitors for the primary time on the Rally du Maroc. All three Audi driver pairings will then contest the desert rally that begins and finishes in Agadir, within the southwest of the North African nation.
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