ABB announced that it will provide the charging technology for the Gen3 cars in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – the first all-electric global race series.
ABB has been title partner of the championship since Season 4. Gen3 cars will be racing as of Season 9 (2022-2023), with the vehicles designed to be lighter, faster and more energy-efficient.
The agreement was officially commemorated on Thursday via a virtual event between ABB Electrification President Tarak Mehta; Daniela Lužanin, ABB Formula E Head of Partnership; Alejandro Agag, Founder & Chairman of Formula E and Jamie Reigle, Chief Executive Officer of Formula E.
Together with engineers from motorsport governing body the FIA and Formula E, ABB’s Electrification teams are currently working on the specifications and requirements to develop an innovative and safe solution for charging the Gen3 cars through portable charging units that can charge two cars simultaneously.
With more than 14,000 DC fast chargers installed across more than 80 countries worldwide, ABB has a wealth of proven technology and experience which will be incorporated into these chargers for Gen3 and adapted in a bespoke way to meet the particular needs of the racing environment.
“The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is more than a race – it is our test-bed for innovative electromobility technologies, driving development to the production line of electric vehicles and ultimately contributing to a cleaner environment for all,” said Mehta. “We are very proud to be associated with Formula E and the FIA’s decision to elevate the race series to World Championship status in Season 7 enhances Formula E’s growing impact.”
“Since ABB joined as the FIA Formula E Championship’s title partner in Season 4, they have worked closely with us to develop the series as a proving ground for race-to-road technology development that promotes our founding purpose of accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles to counteract climate change. We are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together through our long-term partnership,” said Agag.
“As Formula E builds on the first successful phase of our partnership with ABB, we are delighted to extend our relationship through a deeper level of integration in Gen3. ABB will provide critical charging technology that will improve the racing product and showcase the potential of enhanced charging capabilities for electric vehicles,” said Reigle.
ABB has become a global leader in connected DC fast charging systems for electric vehicles and through impactful projects, such as Electrify America, IONITY, Fastned and many more, to which ABB supplies High Power DC fast charging stations. It is also an official partner of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team.
The expanding global reach of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship showcases the innovative technology that is key to the success of this sustainable form of motorsport, which is set to return for six races at Tempelhof Airport, Berlin, from August 5.
