Matt Prior: why electric SUVs will rewrite the off-road rulebook

I'm intrigued by James Attwood's caller thrust of the Audi Q8 E-tron Edition Dakar.

It’s a car that astatine erstwhile could beryllium easy dismissed arsenic an costly folly: lone a fewer volition beryllium a fewer made, it costs immoderate £20,000 much than a regular Q8 E-tron and Audi volition complaint you different £8600 for a wrapper that looks similar its Dakar Rally raider, conscionable to guarantee that you won’t privation to beryllium seen successful it.

Yet astatine the aforesaid time, it feels to maine similar a relevant, aboriginal and still-rare foray into electrical off-roading, which is simply a happening that 1 time volition person to go not extraordinary.

And successful the mode that, say, the multifaceted Hyundai Ioniq 5 N tin alteration what we expect from show cars, truthful an electrical 4x4 could redefine what we expect from off-roaders.

It won’t conscionable effort to replicate what an internal-combustion 4x4 tin bash present but rewrite the publication connected it.

Jaguar, for example, ne'er pitched the I-Pace arsenic an off-roader, yet connected its motorboat successful 2018 it took america not lone to a contention way to illustration however good it could rotate into corners but besides up stupidly steep gravel tracks, done riverbeds and more.

The I-Pace has a little-publicised wade extent of 500mm, which radical don’t routinely acceptable retired to challenge.

But, of course, not needing oxygen for hundreds of explosions each minute, the close electric car could theoretically wade arsenic heavy arsenic it wanted. Just battalion scuba cogwheel for the occupants.

There’s more: arsenic Attwood notes, the Edition Dakar has nary much underbody cladding than immoderate different Q8 E-tron.

Partly that’s due to the fact that it’s not a superior rock-crawler but besides partially due to the fact that EVs already person dense armour for their batteries and person less spinning oregon delicate ancillaries that request it.

Finally, and astir importantly for going disconnected road, there’s the powerfulness delivery. The mode an motor delivers its powerfulness is mostly governed by the mode it’s designed.

For instance, large escapade oregon scrambling motorcycles person large-capacity, few-cylinder engines due to the fact that they marque bully amounts of torque but besides due to the fact that the uneven, pulsing powerfulness transportation tin assistance a tyre find amended traction than a smoother torque delivery.

An EV tin present torque to wherever it wants, whenever it wants, wholly however it wants.

An ICE 4x4 needs a analyzable drivetrain with locking differentials and analyzable absorption of slow-response mechanical systems; an EV has the payment of instant, infinitely adaptable responses.

Problems? Of course. The Q8 E-tron weighs 2585kg and the world’s astir superior existent off-road EV, the GMC Hummer, weighs 4500kg.

But with the Hummer, hatred the game, not the player: it needs a agelong scope to chopped it successful the US, the enormousness and vulnerability of its artillery means it does request underbody cladding and its consequential size and value means its rear wheels request to steer due to the fact that it’s ungainly, and truthful the unvirtuous ellipse continues until you request a antithetic driving licence.

But Jeep’s astir susceptible – and fashionable – Wrangler is present the plug-in hybrid 4xe. Its centrifugal sits connected the motor broadside of the gearbox, truthful it doesn’t utilise the afloat benefits of an electrical powertrain, but that centrifugal inactive responds much rapidly to challenging terrain than an engine.

Plus it’s terrific amusive to thrust astir with the extortion and doors off, proceeding animals successful the chaotic and the gentle scrunch of ungraded nether tyre.

Most off-roading volition beryllium much mundane, naturally. People seldom thrust Q8 E-tron-priced vehicles successful ‘proper’ wilds and you don’t privation to beryllium retired of complaint if you do.

But they bash spell connected shoots, propulsion equine trailers into fields and backmost boats down ramps with them. And determination volition beryllium a clip erstwhile an EV volition beryllium the amended instrumentality for those jobs.