The new ABB Formula E race battery charger marks a new era in electric motorsports and takes racing to new levels never imagined before.
Remember back when Formula E drivers had to change cars halfway through each one of their 45-minute races when their cars ran out of battery power? How times have changed.
As they assume their new role as the official charging supplier of the FIA Formula E World Championship, Swiss-Swedish tech company, ABB has recently unveiled their new charging technology which will be deployed during the highly anticipated Season 9. As the title sponsors for Formula E, ABB has been able to collaborate with engineers from both FIA and Formula E. Through this work, ABB has successfully developed a compact, reliable and safe solution that will be used to charge the new Formula E Gen3 cars before race day and between sessions. The ABB Formula E race charger design allows for easy transportation and installation which is a must for traveling around the globe during the season.
Each charger can deliver a maximum power of 160kW and is able to charge two vehicles with 80kW of power simultaneously, before the race. This allows race teams to benefit from a ‘double charging’ capacity from one unit, significantly reducing the charger footprint and decreasing transportation emissions, as there is no longer a need for one unit per car.
The ABB Formula E race battery charger features ABB’s newest charging technology and draws on the company’s leading position in the sector. Its design adapts technology already proven in road car charging applications to suit a demanding motorsport environment. It offers the greatest reliability and consistency of performance, wherever in the world the chargers are used, from various power sources.
In a Forbes interview, Frank Mühler, head of e-mobility infrastructure solutions for ABB, states “Things have accelerated for sure,” Muehlon says. “When we started in 2012 I think no one was expecting 350kW [kilowatt] chargers and six of them at a 2mW [megawatt] charging site. I think this was far away from even dreaming.”
He also stated, “We’re delighted to bring our innovative charging solutions to the biggest global e-mobility stage – the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – continuing our drive to use the series as a testbed for new, more sustainable technologies. Charging the Gen3 cars will give us valuable testing information on charging in a high-paced, competitive environment. The experience and knowledge we gain will be used to continuously improve ABB chargers for customer and consumer use.”
Jamie Reigle, CEO of Formula E, added: “Technical progress and sustainable innovation are cornerstones of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Our partnership with ABB is based on a shared commitment to advance electric mobility and we are delighted ABB will deliver advanced charging systems for our race teams in Gen3.
