The electrification of the Dakar is a reality. A process in which Audi can be the great visible head with the irruption of its Audi RS Q e-tron in the car category, but that is written with the efforts of other projects with much less resources. It may not be the case Gaussin and his novel H2 Racing Truck with hydrogen cell technology, but if it is the definition of Team Sugawara’s project with Hino, of the team effort GCK Motorsport or from EcoPower and its electric resurrection from EBRO. All in all, there is a team that embodies this type of project above the rest.
It is about Riwald Dakar Team, among other things because his hybrid truck has already competed in the Dakar. In fact, the training can be considered as one of the great precursors to the introduction of new powertrain models at the Dakar. With the support that a family business can provide and the link with MKR Technology, the Riwald Dakar Team debuted its Renault C460 Hybrid Edition in 2020, a vehicle that has left its mark in the last two editions of the toughest raid with some remarkable performances in a class that is always complex in the face of project trucks such as KAMAZ, Iveco or MAZ.
For that reason, Riwald Dakar Team does not stop trying to be competitive in the Dakar with a hybrid truck and together with MKR Technology they have optimized the design of their desert ‘elephant’. As Gert Huzink, team manager, explained, The Renault C460 Hybrid Edition has received some news to improve its performance and reliability. This hybrid truck will debut at the Dakar 2022 a new suspension and cooling system, as well as a higher capacity battery. Changes have also been made to improve engine reliability and performance, as well as electrical power management and delivery.