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Audi RS Q e-tron is set to save more than 60 percent CO2 at Dakar 2023

The three desert prototypes with electric drive and energy converter will, for the first time, run on innovative fuel from ETG and methanol at the next Dakar Rally from December 31, 2022, to January 15, 2023.

Refuels instead of Efuels: Audi relies on Ethanol-to-Gasoline at the Dakar. | Photo: Audi
Refuels instead of Efuels: Audi relies on Ethanol-to-Gasoline at the Dakar. | Photo: Audi
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Gregor Soller

Audi is currently confusing us somewhat: While CEO Duesmann advocates for technological clarity instead of technological openness – that is, clearly committing to electric drives without side branches like hydrogen, fuel cells, and e-fuels, the sports division is sending rally prototypes with those very e-fuels into the desert, specifically to Dakar. "At Audi, we pursue a consistent strategy of decarbonization," says Oliver Hoffmann, Board Member for Technical Development at Audi, and then adds:

“Our battery vehicles and renewable energy are the key technologies. Additionally, renewable fuels offer the possibility to operate combustion engines in a more climate-friendly way. The Audi RS Q e-tron combines both systems in its innovative drive. This makes us even more sustainable from now on in the toughest motorsport imaginable for electric drives.”

A new technology: Ethanol-to-Gasoline

To further reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Audi relies on residual-based products for the fuel of the rally car that do not compete with food. Behind this is a process that first converts biomass into ethanol. In further process steps, the final fuel is produced. The process is abbreviated as Ethanol-to-Gasoline (ETG).

The starting product: Biogenic plant parts

 

The fuel content of the RS Q e-tron consists of 80 percent sustainable components, including ETG and e-methanol. This fuel is required by the energy converter, whose combustion engine part operates very efficiently with high compression, to generate electricity for the electric drive. So while the drive concept fundamentally requires less fuel compared to conventional systems, another optimization is now achieved. Dr. Fabian Titus, Development Application and Thermodynamics, explains:

“With this fuel mixture, the Audi RS Q e-tron saves more than 60 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.”

This development driven by Audi complies with the stringent chemical requirements of the fuel regulations of FIA and ASO. They are similar to the regulations for commercially available fuel types with 102 octane. Such a high value guarantees the knock resistance of the fuel-air mixture during combustion. With this innovative fuel, the combustion engine achieves even a slightly higher efficiency than with fossil-based gasoline.

 

The volumetric heating value decreases - so larger tanks are needed

However, the oxygen content in reFuel reduces the energy density of the fuel, which is why the volumetric heating value decreases. Therefore, the RS Q e-tron needs a larger tank volume. Of course, the vehicle does not receive a regulatory advantage from this, as fuel flow meters measure energy consumption with the highest precision to ensure fairness among participants.

Even in its debut year, the first stage of the RS Q e-tron completed the rally stages in January and March 2022 extremely energy-efficiently thanks to the electric drive with an energy converter. Additionally, a significantly improved CO2 balance is achieved through the direct use of renewable fuels in HEV models (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) like the RS Q e-tron and generally in efficient hybrid vehicles for road traffic.

Audi's vision is to compete in the world's most demanding races with 100 percent renewable fuel. Having stood for technology transfer between motorsport and series production for more than four decades, the use of reFuels introduces an additional dimension: Vehicles with combustion engines and hybrid drives can continue to make an effective contribution to reducing greenhouse gases in the future with reFuels.

What does this mean?

Audi quo vadis??? No completely new model series in 2022, no ideas for affordable models below the A3, but visions for new (r)e-Fuels again. Audi CEO Duesmann would have preferred to send them to the desert...instead, they send a prototype that is of little help to the series there or better yet to the Dakar Rally. Audi needs very strong arguments for its customers when it comes to the model range and its price increases. Especially since competitive pressure from China and Korea is also massively increasing and Audi has so far failed to provide really strong answers. If the brand doesn't end up sending itself to the desert with Formula 1 and Dakar...

Translated automatically from German.
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