[DAKAR] Škoda Afriq

[MotorPassion]

 

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ŠKODA AFRIQ: STUDENT DREAM CAR FOR DAKAR

Students at the ŠKODA Academy have presented their eighth student dream car: the ŠKODA AFRIQ. Take a look at their rally car.

 

The eighth “student dream car” is a head-turning rally version of an urban SUV, the ŠKODA KAMIQ. This is the first time the ŠKODA KAMIQ has been chosen for modification by the students.

“When building their car, the students collaborate with experts from all areas of the company. Under the guidance of their teachers, they transform a ŠKODA production model into a concept car with many innovative ideas. During this project they learn a number of techniques that will later form part of their work. As it happens, the AFRIQ was the most collaborative of all the student specials to date, bringing together experts from ŠKODA Motorsport, the development department, ŠKODA Design and production. For some of these professionals, it was the first time they’d worked on a student,” says teacher Ivo Vollman, who leads the project.

And why the African theme? In addition to the reference to the famous Dakar Rally, the students wanted to highlight ŠKODA’s responsibility for all Volkswagen Group’s activities in North Africa.

Rally-inspired

It took four months to build the car, with the students spending about two thousand hours on the project. One of the reasons for the heavy workload was the extensive modifications to the bodywork of the basic ŠKODA KAMIQ: the students welded the urban SUV’s rear doors into the body, and the mudguards, wheel arches and bumpers of the now two-door AFRIQ were significantly enlarged. The suspension is stronger and the car’s ground clearance is much higher. Adding the all-wheel drive system from the ŠKODA OCTAVIA 4×4 also took up a lot of time.

Looks-wise, the students clearly drew inspiration from the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo. So the AFRIQ too is painted white and fitted with numerous colourful stickers in the classic racing style. The pupils came up with the decals themselves in cooperation with ŠKODA Design. The sporty and robust look is emphasised by the 15-inch OZ Racing wheels.

As already mentioned, unlike the ŠKODA KAMIQ it’s based on, the AFRIQ is a two-door car. To stiffen the body, the students welded the rear doors directly onto a specially designed safety cage in the interior. Echoing the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, there is a “scoop” on the roof, and the rear roof spoiler also comes from the successful competition car. The additional headlights at the front and special quick-release fasteners on the bonnet and boot are also standard features in the rally world.

Higher, lighter, powerful

The AFRIQ is 4,362 millimetres long, 1,793 millimetres wide and 1,410 millimetres high. The wheelbase is 2,649 millimetres and the ground clearance is 180 millimetres. Changes to the chassis were necessitated by changes to the powertrain: this, including the engine and transmission, is taken wholesale from the ŠKODA OCTAVIA 4×4. The four-cylinder 2.0 TSI engine has an output of 140 kW (190 hp) and transmits maximum torque of 320 Nm to all four wheels via a seven-speed DSG gearbox. The exhaust system has also been adapted to the new engine and revised chassis.

Although the drivetrain from the OCTAVIA, including the all-wheel drive, is heavier than the corresponding components of the standard KAMIQ – plus the protective safety frame inside – the students managed to make the AFRIQ approximately 100 kilograms lighter than the KAMIQ. The chassis, which has been modified for off-road driving, also makes the AFRIQ slightly taller. With the same body width and almost identical wheelbase, the student prototype is roughly 100 millimetres longer.

 

Water out of air 

For the first time, an innovative device for extracting drinking water from the surrounding air can be found in a ŠKODA. The driver and co-driver in the AFRIQ thus have access to cooled and filtered drinking water at all times, regardless of the environment the car is being driven in.

 

And how does the system actually work? The device, made by the Israeli company Watergen, draws in air from the atmosphere and filters out dust and impurities. This purified air then goes through the GENius heat exchange and cooling process, where it condenses into water. In the third step, the recovered water passes through a cascade filter that purifies it again and mineralises it. In this process, UV light destroys microorganisms and breaks down harmful chemicals. The treated water is stored in a tank at 5°C and is further exposed to UV light to destroy viruses and bacteria.

For the ŠKODA AFRIQ, a tailor-made solution was assembled from existing Watergen building blocks. The tank is located on the left side of the rear door in the same box as the water filtration, mineralisation and UV purification. The cup holder, spout and display are connected and located on the dashboard within easy reach of the navigator. Water flows under the display into a cup located in the holder. The display shows the current level in the water tank and the temperature and humidity of the air the water is produced from. The main unit with fan and air filter, GENius heat exchanger, condenser and compressor is located behind the two sports seats in the rear of the AFRIQ. It is here that air is drawn in, cooled and condensed into water. The system is fully integrated into the vehicle design and can produce up to 20 litres of potable water per day, depending on the external conditions such as temperature and humidity.

 

Pared-down interior 

The students took a metaphorical axe to the interior, which is pared down like in all rally cars. There are special racing shell seats and six-point seatbelts, and the steering wheel and dashboard are from the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo. The AFRIQ is also equipped with a fire extinguishing system for the crew’s safety.

In-car features include an outdoor navigation system, including a kilometre counter, that allows the use of rally navigation. Two cameras with microphones are installed to record the drive, and these store the footage on memory cards. One camera is positioned on the ceiling between the seats, the other on the left-hand A-pillar above the dashboard.

 

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ŠKODA AFRIQ: Student Concept Car No. 8 is set for the rally track

› Rally version of the ŠKODA KAMIQ harks back to Dakar Rally
› Model name refers to ŠKODA AUTO’s responsibility for Group’s activities in North Africa
› Close collaboration with ŠKODA Motorsport

Mladá Boleslav, 23 May 2022 – Three, two, one – go! The ŠKODA AFRIQ could enter any special stage of the legendary Dakar Rally off the bat. The eighth ŠKODA Student Concept Car is a spectacular rally version of the ŠKODA KAMIQ. This is the first time the city SUV has served as the basis for a Student Concept Car. The experts from ŠKODA Motorsport were more closely involved in developing the ŠKODA AFRIQ than any other Student Concept Car. The project executed by the 25 apprentices, including three women, pays homage to the roots and the original home of the ‘Dakar’ and at the same time points to ŠKODA AUTO’s responsibility for Volkswagen Group activities in North Africa.

“Our Student Concept Car this year, the ŠKODA AFRIQ, is the impressive result of the tremendous creativity and talent of our up-and-coming employees. The ŠKODA AUTO Vocational School prepares them in the best possible way for their career at ŠKODA AUTO, giving them the opportunity to apply and consolidate what they have learned at an early stage in their practice-based training. I am especially pleased with our apprentices’ high level of innovation, which also has sustainability at its core. I am confident that with these committed young professionals, we are in an excellent position to shape the future of our company together and make our transformation a success.”

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Maren Gräf, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for People & Culture

 

Since 1 January 2021, ŠKODA AUTO has been responsible for all the Group’s activities in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria and is opening up new markets with growth potential in the region. As part of its NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030, ŠKODA AUTO is striving to become the leading European car manufacturer in the growth markets of India and North Africa by 2030 under the banner of ‘EXPLORE’. The ŠKODA AFRIQ Student Concept Car increases awareness of this responsibility for the North Africa region.

Challenging conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic

25 apprentices from the ŠKODA AUTO Vocational School, including three women, began working on the eighth Student Concept Car project in autumn 2020 and quickly decided on an all-wheel-drive rally version of the ŠKODA KAMIQ city SUV. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions, the apprentices were initially only able to meet online, so the planning and design phase for the Student Concept Car was prolonged by three months to April 2021. For this reason, the date for completing the vehicle was also postponed from June 2021 to May 2022, and the entire project was extended from one academic year to two – 2020/21 and 2021/22. ŠKODA fans, therefore, had to wait a year longer for the successor to the Spider ŠKODA SLAVIA.

2,000 hours’ work to build the ŠKODA AFRIQ

It took four months to build the ŠKODA AFRIQ, and the apprentices invested around 2,000 working hours. The body of the basic KAMIQ model was fundamentally reshaped: The rear doors of the city SUV were welded and the wings, wheel arches and bumpers of the two-door AFRIQ were enlarged. In addition, the suspension was reinforced. The extensive adaptations required to install the all-wheel drive from a ŠKODA OCTAVIA 4×4 were also very time-consuming. As in previous years, the structural body adjustments were particularly complex; the students had to level out the body, reshape all the edges of the vehicle and fill all the joints to shape the body perfectly.

Broadest collaboration with ŠKODA Motorsport in the history of the Student Concept Car project

Alongside a host of engineers and staff from the Technical Development, Design and Production departments, the apprentices also received support from experts in the ŠKODA Motorsport team. Given that the ŠKODA AFRIQ is a rally vehicle, ŠKODA Motorsport was more heavily involved in developing the model than ever before in the history of the ŠKODA Student Concept Car project. The experts from ŠKODA Motorsport shared their technical knowledge with the apprentices and supplied them with equipment. For example, they provided additional headlights, as well as ventilation and the tailgate with an integrated spoiler from the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo and quick-release fasteners for the bonnet. Several other features from the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo can be found onboard, including two cameras with microphones, the steering wheel, dashboard, six-point seat belts and special racing seats.

 

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Drivetrain: Power to all four wheels for all-terrain traction

› Engine, all-wheel drivetrain and 7-speed DSG taken from a ŠKODA OCTAVIA 4×4
› 2.0 TSI four-cylinder delivers 140 kW (190 hp) and 320 Nm maximum torque

Mladá Boleslav, 23 May 2022 – In the AFRIQ, the vocational students have combined technical components from the ŠKODA KAMIQ, which was used as the basis, a ŠKODA OCTAVIA and the rally model ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo. The body comes from the KAMIQ and the rally FABIA supplied numerous components, particularly in the interior. The drivetrain from a ŠKODA OCTAVIA 4×4 provides the power for the eighth Student Concept Car. A 7-speed DSG distributes the 140 kW (190 hp) output and maximum torque of 320 Nm to all four wheels. The ŠKODA AFRIQ is thus ideally suited for off-road use.

Traditionally, participants in the Student Concept Car project use engineering components from other ŠKODA vehicles and adapt them to build their dream car. This is particularly true of the ŠKODA AFRIQ’s drivetrain: the engine and transmission come from a ŠKODA OCTAVIA 4×4. The 2.0 TSI four-cylinder generates 140 kW (190 hp) and a maximum torque of 320 Nm. The power is distributed to all four wheels via a 7-speed DSG. The exhaust system has been modified to complement the new engine and modified underbody.

Installing the drivetrain from a ŠKODA OCTAVIA 4×4 required extensive modifications to the underbody. The brackets for the front axle and the engine and transmission mounts were adapted, as the OCTAVIA’s engine is larger than the KAMIQ’s. A new multi-link rear axle was also fitted. To accommodate the axle brackets, a component from the rear of the OCTAVIA’s bodyshell was integrated into the KAMIQ’s. ŠKODA Academy technicians used the two‑part tank from the OCTAVIA to fit the cardan shaft and had to modify the tank opening and filler neck for this purpose. The cardan shaft was shortened to fit the KAMIQ. The gearbox and exhaust were also modified to save space. The redesigned tailpipes of the exhaust system make a striking feature at the rear. The interior of the AFRIQ has been stripped back to meet the requirements of rally drivers and thus makes a significant contribution to the vehicle’s low weight of just 1,350 kilograms.

 

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Watergen: Fresh and filtered water onboard – anytime, anywhere

› Israeli company extracts drinking water from humidity in the air
› Patented process works like a particularly efficient air conditioner
› UV light kills viruses and bacteria and breaks down chemicals

Mladá Boleslav, 23. May 2022 – The ŠKODA AFRIQ boasts a drinking water generator from Watergen. The innovative company from Israel has grown from a local technology company to one of the world’s leading suppliers of atmospheric drinking water treatment systems. With its patented process, Watergen extracts drinking water from the humidity of the ambient air and can thus generate drinking water even in a desert.

Under the expert supervision, the apprentices from the ŠKODA Vocational School have added a very special detail to the ŠKODA AFRIQ with the drinking water generator from Watergen: the racing vehicle designed for the desert rally can provide its occupants with clean and chilled drinking water whenever they need it. By installing a unit in the AFRIQ, ŠKODA AUTO is raising awareness of this technology that can help to combat water shortages in desert regions such as North Africa. In addition, eliminating the need for single-use water bottles reduces plastic waste and thus the carbon footprint.

The four-step water extraction process

 

Generating drinking water from atmospheric moisture is one of the most important and innovative methods of water production. Watergen is a pioneer in this field and has patented its technology. Founded in 2009, the company owns a total of 42 patents and distributes its products in more than 85 countries. Watergen also works with governments and NGOs to address water scarcity in many regions of the world. There are four steps in Watergen’s process for extracting water from the air: First, a fan sucks in the air; an integrated filter removes dust and dirt. The purified air is passed through the GENius heat exchanger, where it condenses the water. The water then passes through a cascade filter for a further purification and mineralisation. During this process, UV light destroys microorganisms and breaks down harmful chemicals. The water is then stored in a reservoir where it circulates continuously. UV light is again utilized to kill any residual viruses and bacteria.

Installation in the ŠKODA AFRIQ

The Watergen portfolio includes various products for industrial and private use, as well as versions with an internal water tank for in-vehicle operation. The ŠKODA AFRIQ employs a customised solution using existing components. The tank is located on the left side of the tailgate in the same box as the water filtration, mineralisation and UV treatment. The cup holder, dispenser and control display are all linked and mounted on the dashboard. The water flows into the cup and is stopped at the push of a button. At the same time, the display shows the fill level of the water tank as well as the ambient air temperature and humidity. The main unit, which includes the fan, air filter, GENius heat exchanger, condenser and compressor, is located behind the two seats in the rear of the AFRIQ. This is where the air is drawn in, cooled and condensed into water. The system is fully integrated into the vehicle and can produce up to 20 litres of drinking water a day, depending on external conditions such as air temperature and humidity. Watergen’s largest stationary systems can produce up to 6,000 litres of water every day.

 

Skoda Storyboard

Modificato 23 Maggio 2022 da MotorPassion

[Albe89]

Una Kamiq Rally2* più che altro, correre la Dakar così la vedo dura.

 

*Anche se il motore è un 2.0 e non 1.6

Modificato 23 Maggio 2022 da Albe89

[MotorPassion]

16 minuti fa, Albe89 scrive:

Una Kamiq Rally2* più che altro, correre la Dakar così la vedo dura.

 

*Anche se il motore è un 2.0 e non 1.6

 

Si tratta di uno studio degli studenti della Skoda Aacademy, non credo prenderà parte alla Dakar, ho messo qui il topic visto il tema di tale studio.
Ogni anno presentano qualche studio particolare sviluppato su modelli di serie.

 

Interessante il lavoro fatto per piazzarci sotto la trazione 4x4 di Octavia ed anche il sistema di estrazione dell'acqua dall'atmosfera.

Modificato 23 Maggio 2022 da MotorPassion

[Albe89]

3 minuti fa, MotorPassion scrive:

 

Si tratta di uno studio degli studenti della Skoda Aacademy, non credo prenderà parte alla Dakar, ho messo qui il topic visto il tema di tale studio.
Ogni anno presentano qualche studio particolare sviluppato su modelli di serie.

Sì sì ho letto, è il nome che non mi sembra azzeccatissimo  

E' interessante invece il sistema per recuperare l'acqua dall'atmosfera

[MotorPassion]

2 minuti fa, Albe89 scrive:

E' interessante invece il sistema per recuperare l'acqua dall'atmosfera

 

Sì esatto, sistema molto interessante, qui di seguito il link alla pagina web dell'azienda che fornisce/sviluppa tale tecnologia: https://www.watergen.com/

Modificato 23 Maggio 2022 da MotorPassion

[MotorPassion]