Audi has won the just-concluded 2024 edition of the Dakar Rally with the RS Q e-tron, marking a milestone in motorsport history by being the first racecar with an electrified drivetrain to secure the overall crown in the car category of the event.
The Audi RS Q e-tron clinched the title with the legendary Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz on board.
“Winning the world’s toughest desert rally with an electrified drive captures ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ and points the way to our electric future,” said Audi AG Chairman Gernot Dollner.
Upgraded for the 2024 Dakar Rally, the Audi RS Q e-tron is a low-emission racecar powered by an electric drive that draws power from a battery and an energy converter using a residue-based reFuel. The latest set-up of the car improved comfort and efficiency, and featured a revised electric powertrain adhering to this year’s 286-kW output Dakar Rally regulations.
Sainz and Cruz secured their nearly insurmountable lead since the sixth stage of the 12-stage Dakar Rally. With the Audi RS Q e-tron, the pair chalked up their fourth overall Dakar Rally crown, having also finished first in 2010, 2018 and 2020. They completed this year’s race, held on around 7,900 kilometers of grueling terrain, with a lead of one hour and 20 minutes.