Under the skin: How Audi's Dakar raider pushes EV tech boundaries
The composite panels also serve to protect the crew from the high-voltage components of the electric drive system. The high-voltage battery system is being developed by Audi Sport, weighs 370kg and produces 220kW. Its capacity is a relatively modest 52kWh, but it’s supplemented by a 2.0-litre turbocharged range extender derived from DTM. The HVBS is also enclosed by carbonfibre structures, which include Zylon here and there in some of the more vulnerable areas.
The underside is protected by a 54mm-thick three-layer undertray. The first layer is an aluminium plate, which resists abrasion and especially hard knocks in the same way a conventional off-road sump guard might. The second is a layer of energy-absorbing foam and the third a carbonfibre sandwich layer. Shocks are dispersed by the foam layer into the carbonfibre sandwich, which is the last line of defence. It can crush in a controlled way to absorb the worst impacts and thus protect the battery.
Further safety measures on the electrical side include Audi’s ISO monitor, which can detect fault currents and was used in both LMP1 and Formula E. The system detects major impacts and, in the event of one that is serious enough, will shut down the system. External lights and an audible signal warn outsiders that there’s a problem.
The high-voltage battery and electrical systems are made completely watertight to cope with river crossings, and even the fire extinguishing agent is non-conductive to keep the crew safe were it to activate in the presence of exposed high-voltage parts. The RS Q E-tron is powered by dual MGU05s derived from Formula E, with one on each axle to give four-wheel drive and their torque distribution controlled by software.
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