ABB unveils 160kW e-race charger for Formula E world championship
ABB has recently unveiled the charging technology that the company will use for Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as the official charging supplier.
Working with engineers from motorsport governing body, the FIA, and Formula E, ABB claims to 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, it adds. 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 company claims.
The ABB Formula E Race Charger's design adapts technology already proven in road car charging applications to suit a demanding motorsport environment, with improved reliability and consistency of performance.
Frank Mühlon, CEO of ABB E-mobility said, "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.
ABB's mobile chargers set the industry standard and will serve as critical infrastructure in delivering the championship. We look forward to showcasing ABB's leading charging products under the exacting standards of competition and demonstrating that high performance and sustainability can coexist without compromise."
Since entering the e-mobility market back in 2010, ABB claims to have sold more than more than 40,000 DC fast chargers and 800,000 AC chargers, including those sold through Chargedot.
