There is one stage left until the end of Dakar 2024, but Carlos Sainz He will leave Saudi Arabia as the new champion of the car category. A historic event not only because it is the Matador’s fourth crown in the competition, but especially because it is the first time that an electric car has won it. Merit that falls on him Audi RS Q e-tron.
During stage 11, between Alula and Yanbu, Carlos Sainz not only continued to squeeze the potential of the Audi RS Q e-tron, but also took advantage of a breakdown that delayed the Frenchman for a long time. Sebastien Loebuntil today his main rival for the title.
The breakage of the Frenchman’s right front suspension fork allowed Carlos Sainz get more than an hour difference in the section, consolidating his great work on board the Audi RS Q e-tron. An unthinkable gap considering what had happened in yesterday’s stage, when at the end of it there was just 13 minutes difference between the Spaniard and his main challenger in the general qualifier of the Ultimate division.
Carlos Sainz has concluded the eleventh stage of the Dakar 2024 in the third location of the provisional classifier. The day’s activity was left in the hands of Guerlain Chicherit, from Overdrive Racing, who completed the 420 kilometer timed segment in 4 hours and 43 minutes. Second came his partner Guillaume de Mevius5 minutes and 32 seconds apart, and immediately afterwards the Matador appeared with his Audi RS Q e-tron, 5 minutes and 35 seconds behind as the winner of the day.
Although Sébastien Loeb managed to continue in the competition thanks to a spare part provided by a teammate, he lost a lot of place in the stage. He arrived in the place 28, 1 hour and 27 minutes from the winner. This has relegated it to third place in the provisional general classifier led by Carlos Sainz and his Audi RS Q e-tron.
Audi RS Q e-tron, the first electric car to win the Dakar
Completed stage 11, Carlos Sainz leads easily the Dakar 2024 and the title is guaranteed with the Audi RS Q e-tron. The general classification of the Ultimate car division places them with 1 hour, 27 minutes and 6 seconds of difference from their main pursuer, the Belgian De Mevius. While the distance with Loeb is 1 hour, 35 minutes and 2 seconds.
This has drastically changed the landscape of the competition, which was expected to be head-to-head definition until the end with Sébastien Loeb. And considering that there is only one day of relatively simple competition left, We can assume that Carlos Sainz will leave Saudi Arabia with his fourth Dakar crown under his arm.
Tomorrow, Friday, the Dakar 2024 will say goodbye to Saudi Arabia with the loop Yanbu-Yanbu. There will be 153 kilometers of link and 175 kilometers of special. A short timed section, compared to the other stages of the competition. Thus, with around an hour and a half difference in his favor, it is logical to think that Carlos Sainz will go out with caution and take care of his Audi RS Q e-tron to complete the journey without incident and take the title. Of course The Matador will not feel like a champion until he crosses the finish linebut only a calamity could take away his glory.
Taking for granted the consecration of Carlos Sainz, Audi has achieved the unthinkable: for an electric car to win in the desert. An achievement that will remain in the history books, also considering the young nature of this project. After all, this is only the third participation of the Audi RS Q e-tron in the Dakar.
The German automaker presented the vehicle in mid-2021, and it competed for the first time in the Dakar 2022. That just two years later it has managed to win the toughest and most demanding automobile competition in the world is a success that transcends the merely sporting.
Audi achieves the unthinkable: an electric car wins in the desert
The Audi RS Q e-tron is a true technological marvel. The vehicle, designed by Argentine Juan Manuel Díaz, uses two electric motors, one on each axle, and an energy converter. The latter is made up of an internal combustion engine powered by synthetic fuel that works together with a third electric motor to recharge the battery.
Since the combustion engine does not transmit torque to the wheels, the propulsion is completely electric. The two electric motors, derived from those used in Formula E, can generate a combined maximum power of 500 kW. That is, the equivalent of about 680 horsepower. The high-voltage battery installed in the Audi RS Q e-tron, meanwhile, is 52 kWh and weighs 370 kilograms.
Adapting the Audi RS Q e-tron to the demands of the desert and the long distances of the Dakar has been a major challenge for the Germans. Engineers had to develop an energy management system that was balanced enough to guarantee the duration of the charge, without giving up power when necessary. Let’s keep in mind that at times the vehicle consumes more energy than it can generate with its converter. Therefore, it is also important that the car can recover part of the energy during braking.
Added to this is a special protection system for the battery, not only against impacts; also against water and fire. And a complete safety solution that disconnects the power in the event of a serious accident.
Software has also played its crucial part in this story. Carlos Sainz’s car has all-wheel drive, of course, but, like any electric vehicle, it does not have a mechanical connection between the axles. That is why a “virtual differential” solution has been developed that is responsible for torque distribution.
A crucial victory for the future of the Dakar
Since 2022, the Dakar Rally has set its future strategy with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of the competition. By 2030, The organizers have proposed that all categories use low-emission vehicles. The triumph of the Audi RS Q e-tron is a clear example of what this type of car can achieve. Even when operating in the most inhospitable conditions.
If all goes well, tomorrow, Carlos Sainz and his navigator Lucas Cruz will celebrate a new Dakar on the shores of the Red Sea. It will be the fourth for the Matador after the consecrations of 2010, 2018 and 2020, and the first for electric mobility.