The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is about bringing the thrill of electric racing to as many people as possible – showing how driving can be both exciting and sustainable. ABB does this by bringing all-electric zero-emission race cars to compete in cities and taking the racing to excited local audiences.
As a world leader in electrification, robotics, motion, automation and digital technologies, ABB’s purpose is to enable a more sustainable and resource-efficient future, with technology leadership in electrification and automation. They also have a goal to raise the profile of sustainable development in transport, electrification, cities and factories. For ABB, this is part of rethinking how we can live, work, move and produce without consuming the Earth.
ABB’s partnership with Formula E began in January 2018, bringing together the global leader in electric vehicle fast-charging with the world’s first fully electric international motorsport class. It is a platform for technological development and provides them with a unique opportunity to engage with customers around the world, while helping lead the way towards a more sustainable future. Working alongside Formula E, ABB are helping to encourage the global adoption of clean mobility by enhancing technologies and highlighting the benefits of electric vehicles. The metropolitan settings for races around the world are ideal for highlighting their technologies for e-mobility, smart cities, sustainability and energy solutions, amplified by the appeal of the championship.
Technology & Sustainability
The Championship is more than a race, it is a testbed for innovative technologies, which will ultimately help our society optimise, electrify and decarbonise.
Currently in their seventh season as title partner– and second as Official Charging Partner – ABB are continuing to implement leading technologies within the series. These technologies position them at the forefront of sustainable technology development within the series and beyond.
ABB Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
ABB’s UPS system is installed in the race series’ TV compound. It guarantees that power continues to reach broadcasters in the event of a grid power failure at a race circuit, ensuring that live race broadcasts never go ‘off air’. This UPS is a highly efficient bespoke unit developed by one of their specialist teams.
Wheel-mounted and weight-optimised, it has been made in a package small and robust enough to be shipped easily and more sustainably. It has plug-and-play functionality to simplify installation for the on-site team and can provide 15 minutes of autonomous 60kVA power with input/output voltages of 230/400VAC 50 Hz.
ABB Ability Optimax®
ABB has continued to push boundaries of sustainable technology by introducing its innovative energy management software solution to the sport. ABB Ability Optimax® is deployed at race circuits to monitor and analyse total race-specific energy output more efficiently. Up to 14 metering boxes are located at host venues, collecting data on how much electrical power (kilowatts) is being used by teams and other race partners at that moment and how much electricity (kilowatt hours) is consumed over any given period. This information is relayed back to race control via the Microsoft Azure cloud.
Total consumption across entire E-Prix sites is also monitored, encompassing operations including the TV broadcast suite, E-Village fan zone, media centre, catering facilities, the paddock and, of course, the teams pit garages.
Official Charging Partner
Since Season 9, ABB has been the Official Charging Partner of the series. Working with engineers from motorsport governing body, the FIA, and Formula E, ABB have developed a compact, reliable and safe solution for charging the new Gen3 cars before race day and between sessions. The ABB Formula E Race Charger has been designed in a robust, custom and ergonomic way that allows for easy global transportation and installation.
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 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.
FIA Girls on Track
ABB’s commitment to solving some of the biggest global challenges of our time is founded on a culture of diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity. This culture is critical to their business success and relies on exceptional people who work every day towards this endeavour. ABB welcomes and celebrates individual differences, which is why encouraging and promoting social progress is a key element of their Sustainability Strategy 2030.
These values also underpin ABB’s partnership with the FIA Girls on Track program, which seeks to empower the next generation of women by encouraging them into STEM careers. Using the exceptional platform provided by ABB Formula E, FIA Girls On Track runs workshops at selected races through the season, to both inspire and show practical support for girls and young women considering careers in motorsport or other engineering-related fields. The program helps to drive progress in female diversity and equality, building a brighter and more diverse future.
FIA Girls on Track video series
As part of ABB’s partnership with FIA Girls on Track, their complementary video series showcases the varied and influential roles held by women working in ABB Formula E. The videos highlight their backgrounds and routes into motorsport, who or what inspired them, challenges faced and overcome and their advice to other young women looking to follow a similar path.
About ABB
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company connects engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 140 years of excellence, ABB’s 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.
