The future of mobility is electric – declares the title of a recent article penned by the CEO of ABB, Ulrich Spiesshofer. According to the piece, we’re already in possession of technology needed to ensure a sustainable future in mobility. Our next steps should be all about implementing the eco-friendly changes on a global scale, and this cannot be done without cooperation. Strength in numbers was one of the reasons why the company has decided to team up with Formula E in the fight for a clean future of mobility.
ABB’s philosophy revolves around the premise of running the world without consuming the Earth. Employing nearly 147 thousand people in over 100 countries, the company is a global leader in industrial technology. As the leading provider of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles worldwide, ABB strives to promote the electrification of not only cars and buses, but also cable cars, ships, and railways. One of the company’s core values lies in sustainability – in order to track their progress in the field, ABB publishes a yearly Sustainability Report, describing their solutions for improving energy efficiency on a global scale.
Given ABB’s focus on battery-powered vehicles, their partnership with Formula E truly feels like a natural turn of events. Founded in 2014, Formula E has been changing the face of competitive racing as the world’s first fully electric international single-seater championship. With the values of sustainability, technology, and innovation at heart, Formula E aims to disrupt the idea that motorsport has to contribute towards the global footprint, and proposes a completely sustainable model of professional racing. “Our two companies are synonymous with pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Together, as partners, we will showcase breakthrough technology on a global scale to fans and consumers who follow the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.” – stated Alejandro Agag, the founder and CEO of Formula E.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Formula E in writing the future of e-mobility,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “Today, two pioneers are uniting. ABB and Formula E are a natural fit at the forefront of the latest electrification and digital technologies. Together, we will write the next phase of this exciting sports activity and foster high-performance teams. Together, we will write the future – one electrifying race at a time.”
One of the first joint projects the partnership has taken up revolves around power management in EVs. Professional races work like true stress-tests for vehicle batteries: their percentages are continuously monitored in order to adjust strategies in real time. In the meantime, while a driver tries to defend their position in a race, the vehicle needs to continuously provide a large amount of data to racing official, such as the current motor speed, or brake pressure. With all of these operations performed simultaneously, Formula E races function as true exercises in monitoring and operating a mobile power grid.
If you’d like to find out more about ABB’s vision of electromobility, and their future plans, make sure to join us in Katowice at Impact mobility rEVolution’18! See you there!
