Latest Episode | Cut To The Race Podcast
As Formula E’s new charger supplier, ABB released the charger used to power up the Gen3 cars in between sessions and before races.
What’s so special about this year’s charger is that it can charge two cars at the same time. It delivers a maximum of 160kW and can give out 80kW to each car it’s plugged into it simultaneously. This aimed at reducing the charger footprint for teams and reducing transportation emissions.
Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle said, “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.”
Meanwhile CEO of ABB E-mobility, Frank Mühlon explained how this charger gives space for more testing through Formula E. Hopefully, such components can eventually be used in everyday road cars too and ABB products.
The ABB charger
The charger has a height of 1520mm with a top screen. The screen has an “intuitive user interface” which will help teams monitor the charging process. It will give information such as the time to fully charge. Weighing 450kg, it has a width of 1150mm and a depth of 850mm.
Built-in LED lights will also help in indicating the State of Charge (SoC) of the cars. ABB confirmed that this is the fastest mobile charger available. With ergonomics kept in mind, it is built in a way that makes transportation easier, through the use of a trolley. It will not have teams take part in heavy lifting or any activity which might cause harm to their body.
Frank Mühlon 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.”
Featured Image Credit: Formula E