Meet Audi RS Q e-Tron, the EV Rally Machine

Who would have thought that an EV will ever part-take in a brutal rally like Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge? Well, if you have brilliant engineers like Audi has, nothing is impossible!

This year, Audi came to the challenging ground of Abu Dhabi with its RS Q e-Tron.

Audi has long been a trailblazer in the world of motorsport, particularly in the thrilling sport of rally racing. The German company made headlines a few decades ago with its Quattro all-wheel-drive AWD Group B rally monsters, and now it’s back with an EV rally vehicle based on the Audi RS e-Tron GT.

Factory drivers Stephane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger lead Audi’s second trip with the prototype racer, and the team could not be better. On motorbikes and four-wheelers, Peterhansel has won this event seven times.

With Edouard Boulanger in his Audi RS Q e-Tron, the Frenchman won the ADDC for the record-breaking seventh time, with a victory margin of 29 minutes and 49 seconds over 2018 champion Czech Martin Prokop, who was joined by fellow countryman Viktor Chytka in a Ford Raptor.

Following its debut in the Dakar Rally in January with four-stage triumphs, the Audi RS Q e-Tron has now won its maiden overall victory — in only its second trip. The FIA World Rally-Raid Championship’s second round was decided in favour of Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger. In Abu Dhabi, the Frenchmen triumphed with a 29.49-minute lead.

Following the historic maiden victory of the Audi RS Q e-Tron, Team Audi Sport is continuing to improve the prototype while also preparing for the next event. From June 6 to 12, the Andalucia Rally will take place. In the middle of the year, the participants will compete in a qualification stage and five legs of 200 to 300 kilometres each in the south of Spain.