ABB technology ensures ABB FIA Formula E World Championship never goes ‘off air’

Custom ABB UPS technology delivers reliable, sustainable solutions to all-electric motor-racing series

Season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has returned to full power as all 12 teams take to the track in Valencia, Spain for testing from November 28th to December 1st, 2020.

ABB, entering its fourth season as title partner, is continuing to implement leading technologies such as ABB Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) in the all-electric championship.

UPS 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’. There is no standard solution to meet the requirements of the fast-paced global championship, so a bespoke unit was developed by a specialist team at ABB.

The resulting UPS system is wheel-mounted and weight-optimized for mobility, in a package small and robust enough to be shipped by courier or on a passenger airplane. 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.

UPS, combined with the charging solutions ABB will provide for the Gen3 cars to be introduced from Season 9, continue to position ABB at the forefront of sustainable technology development within the series and beyond.

Tarak Mehta, ABB Electrification President, said: “As our partnership with ABB FIA Formula E World Championships develops we will work with Formula E to showcase many examples that will drive progress in e-Mobility and sustainability.

“UPS and charging are two examples where we can showcase the benefits of high performance in a competitive environment.”

At ABB, sustainable development means progress towards a healthier and more prosperous world for future generations. Working alongside Formula E, the company is helping to encourage the global adoption of clean mobility by enhancing technologies and highlighting the benefits of electric vehicles. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship provides a platform to push the boundaries of technology, which can be transferred from the racetrack to real-world situations, helping to preserve resources and enable a low-carbon society.

Jamie Reigle, CEO, Formula E, said: “At Formula E, we greatly value ABB as both our title partner and strategic ally. We share a purpose and values, both committed to accelerating sustainable human progress as we race for better futures. Formula E provides the perfect test bed for technologies like ABB’s UPS that translate from the racetrack to everyday environments. With Formula E races staged in the world’s most iconic cities, we are able to showcase ABB’s technology and solutions in the urban settings in which they are becoming increasingly essential.”

For Season 7, the series will gain FIA World Championship status, underlining its growing popularity as a platform for e-mobility and other sustainable technologies to an ever-broader global audience of 93 million interested consumers*.

Tune in to the latest trends and technology

To coincide with testing, ABB is launching a brand-new podcast, ABB Decoded, on December 4th, which will talk to leading thinkers and innovators about the new technologies that are reshaping our world. In the first episode, Mobility Revolution, ABB’s Head of Global E-mobility Infrastructure Solutions, Frank Muehlon, provides insight into how the automotive world has changed; the trends and future of e-mobility and the role charging infrastructure has to play in electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Future episodes will cover topics such as sustainability, smart cities and decarbonization, and will be available on abb.com.

The latest instalment in ABB’s branded content series, Drivers of Progress, has also recently been released. In the episode, Driving Efficiency, Mahindra team boss Dilbagh Gill, and ABB’s Edgar Kellar, Division President, Traction, were interviewed on the parallel importance of regenerative braking in ABB Formula E and electric railways. The series will continue throughout Season 7 and is available to watch here.

Plans for the Season 7 race calendar continue to evolve amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, while the health and safety of the entire Formula E community, as well as the residents of E-Prix host cities, are of the utmost priority.

The season is scheduled to start with two double-header races: the first will be a ‘behind-closed-doors’ event in Santiago, Chile (January 16th & 17th, 2021), while the second in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia (February 26th & 27th, 2021) is planned to be open, with spectators on site. The races in Diriyah will be the series’ first ever night races, with the track set to be lit with low-consumption LED technology powered by fully renewable energy. Previously announced races in Mexico City and Sanya, China have been postponed until later in the year.

As it is almost inevitable that attendance at E-Prix will remain restricted, ABB is developing virtual experiences that will allow guests and key customers to enjoy much of the race weekend experience, even if they are unable to attend in person. In addition to a dedicated microsite filled with news and content from the event and a link to view the on-track action, ABB will provide a multi-media experience focusing on the series itself and the connected topics of sustainability, mobility and energy efficiency, featuring presentations and contributions in collaboration with ABB’s partners.

The World Championship will once again enjoy a 24-car grid, with the same 12 teams from Season 6 resuming competition – though with several driver changes. Season 7 is sure to witness characteristically fierce competition to succeed reigning champions Antonio Felix da Costa and DS Techeetah in the Drivers’ and Teams’ categories.

ABB will also continue this season as official partner of the Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E team, while Switzerland’s Sébastien Buemi of Nissan e.Dams and Simona de Silvestro of Porsche, remain ABB ambassadors.

ABB is the title partner in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, an international racing series for fully electric single-seat racecars. Its technology supports the events at city-street tracks around the globe. ABB is a world leader in fast-charger installations, with more than 17,000 units sold across 80 countries worldwide.

2021 ABB FIA Formula E Championship – Calendar (races confirmed to date)

(*Global Web index)

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com