- Sustainable technology showcase returns to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the eighth time
- All-electric motorsport championship serves as a backdrop for ABB’s E-mobility solutions on- and off-track
- ABB smart building technology helps improve energy efficiency
The new season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship begins in Mexico City this weekend. As technology leader and title partner, ABB, continues to use it as a testbed for solutions which will help drive progress towards a more sustainable future both on- and off-track.
The 22 drivers will be entering the second season of the Gen3 era ready to push the limits of the fastest, lightest and most efficient electric race car ever built even further around the high-speed Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit. Featuring long straights and a succession of tight corners in the Foro Sol stadium, the track is ideally suited to showcase the performance of the car. It presents the competitors and the technology with a set of challenges different from any other race on the calendar, due to its 2,250m elevation.
Karin Lepasoon, ABB’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, said: “We’re looking forward to another exciting season of electrifying action, showcasing the pinnacle of technologies which will help drive progress in the race for the energy transition and ultimately create a more sustainable future for us all. This is particularly pertinent in a city as congested as Mexico City. The sprawling metropolis is a fitting backdrop to showcase the challenges we are facing in cities around the world and how we can combat them through optimization, electrification and decarbonization.”
This progress in e-mobility technology is an example of what ABB is working to implement in cities all around the world including within this weekend’s host country. In Yucatán, ABB is providing the charging infrastructure for the Ie-tram project, working alongside the Institute of Mobility and Urban Territorial Development (IMDUT) to provide more than one million inhabitants with a faster, modern and sustainable transportation system featuring an expanded network of electric buses. A total of 16 Terra 124 (120 KW) chargers will be installed which allow simultaneous charging of two vehicles and will be mainly used overnight. In addition, eight 300 kW HVC pantograph chargers will be supplied as part of the opportunity charging system, with typical charging times between four and six minutes.
E-mobility is just one part of the solution to make cities more sustainable. As buildings are responsible for over 30 percent of global energy consumption [1], improving efficiency within them is essential. Smart building technology can help businesses act more sustainably and control costs by dimming lights, controlling shading, and adjusting the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) to reduce energy consumption.
ABB Mexico collaborated with Monterrey-based Solueza, an expert in integrated solutions in air conditioning automation (HVAC) services to install a new system for a medical equipment manufacturing company in the Sonora town of Nogales. ABB FusionAir® Smart Sensors, which are used to monitor variables such as temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration in clean rooms in addition to enabling efficient control of the HVAC equipment. ABB’s solution provided the customer with energy savings of around 15 percent when automating compressors and heat pumps, while using 20 percent less space.
In Mexico, ABB has more than 6,000 employees and 8 manufacturing sites, including in a plant in Nogales which has delivered emissions reductions of 86 percent thanks to the introduction of solar panels and the ABB Ability™ energy management system. This was achieved under ABB's Mission to Zero concept, which is a global initiative to enhance energy efficiency and enable building decarbonization, creating best practice solutions for manufacturing and production sites.
ABB’s technology will be further showcased in Mexico City as part of the FIA Girls on Track program. In Season 10, ABB is continuing its partnership with the grassroots project which has been expanded to cover all 11 race weekends in 2024, reaching more than 1,650 participants. It offers girls aged 12 to 18 the opportunity to explore the different aspects of the motorsport industry through a set of activities and workshops. ABB is running a workshop focused on ABB robotics, featuring one of the company’s most innovative collaborative robots – GoFa™ – enabling the girls to learn basic programming skills. As Official Charging Partner, ABB is also running a workshop with its Terra AC to teach the program attendees about its charging technology used in the series and on the road.
Following the race in Mexico City, the series will head to Diriyah, Saudi Arabia at the end of the month for two night races on the historic streets. The season calendar comprises 16 races in 10 global locations, including new hosts: Shanghai, Misano and Tokyo.
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect 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. www.abb.com
About Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship:
As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation.
The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities are united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and planet. www.FIAFormulaE.com
For Formula E media enquiries, please contact - media@fiaformulae.com
