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With only a few weeks left before the start, the electric Audi is ready for the tough rally.

Dakar is easily one of the most dangerous rally races in the world, with terrain and elements designed to test machines and crews. The DNF list proves this, as can the countless injuries suffered by racers and support personnel over the years.

Until recently, when designing machines to withstand tough competitions, apart from pilots, teams only had to worry about protecting gasoline and diesel power systems. In a few weeks, Audi will have to worry about protecting the EV powertrain and battery and using the RS Q e-tron prototype in endurance races. This requires a lot of new hardware and some new methods to make the vehicle collision-resistant and durable.

Audi began to use the tube frame as the main protection (and load-bearing) component of the RS Q e-tron, using heat-resistant alloy quenched and tempered steel borrowed from the aerospace manufacturing industry, composed of chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium (CrMoV). The drive is also protected by a composite panel, which is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), located in the space between the frame, with the help of additional tear-resistant Zylon to prevent sharp objects from the outside.

Audi relies on its experience in designing tube frames for DTM and LMP cars dating back to the late 1990s.

Axel Löffler, chief designer of RS Q e-tron, said: "The structural design of the frame combines the methods and discoveries we have honed in many disciplines for decades."

In terms of protecting high-voltage batteries, Audi relies on the CFRP structure and Zylon. The battery in the center is protected by an aluminum plate at the bottom. Above it is energy-absorbing foam, which can disperse the impact to the sandwich structure above it. The CFRP sandwich structure, above the foam, protects the battery and the fuel tank of the energy converter. Therefore, the underbody is 2.1 inches thick, which is quite impressive, but it can be disassembled and replaced when damaged.

"Through these designs, we have seen our knowledge transfer directly from the track to the off-road rally," Löffler added. "And there are more similarities, such as the load on the chassis and the underbody. It is undeniable that due to the long suspension travel, load duration and vehicle mass, the energy in off-road is higher. But the measured g-force and Le Mans The prototype car is similar."

The body of the RS Q e-tron itself is made of Kevlar, CFPR or composite materials, depending on the components we are looking at. Some ready-made parts can be found even in unique vehicles like this: for example, the heated laminated glass windshield comes from the Audi A4. The inner seat shell is made of CFRP, similar to the seat shell used by Audi in LMP and DTM vehicles.

There are many other safety systems that the crew can rely on, including onboard fire extinguishing systems and ISO monitors that detect dangerous fault currents. The entire team, as well as the organizer's rescue team, have also undergone high-pressure training.

The first stage of the Dakar Rally began on January 3.