ABB fast-charging technology will supply power to electric racing cars during live competition, in a pioneering application to be used for the first time today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The inaugural round of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY – the world’s first international all-electric racing series for production-based cars – starts today and custom-made ABB Terra DC units will charge the cars under racing conditions.
The 10-round series, which is the support category for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship starts today when 12 racecars, with drivers from five continents, will race Jaguar I-PACE SUVs, specially outfitted for eTROPHY racing. The racecars will compete on the same 2.5 km course used for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship race later in the day.
ABB, as official charging partner for the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, has provided compact Terra DC chargers for each of the participating teams. The partnership builds on ABB’s role as title sponsor of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship and extends the company’s commitment to support and expand the future of e-mobility.
The compact Terra DC units, ABB’s most popular charging stations now in use in Europe and the United States, were specially adapted for the series by ABB. The ABB chargers are capable of quickly charging the Jaguar racecars in the short breaks between practice, qualifying and the race. However, their external dimensions have been reduced to a profile of only 1.5 meters high, a reduction in height of almost 32 percent, which allows the chargers to be easily air-freighted to the series’ 10 rounds in nine countries.
This partnership with the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY series is another example of ABB’s ability to meet big challenges with innovative engineering, delivering solutions tailored precisely to customer needs.
Tarak Mehta, President, ABB’s Electrification Products division, said: “This is the first opportunity that anyone has had to see the chargers in action and it will be a great public showcase for this piece of sustainable technology.”
Terra DC fast-chargers have been rigorously tested ahead of their racing debut, and Mehta expressed his confidence that they would meet the exceptional challenge presented by use in competition: “This partnership represents a world-first tie-in with motor racing and will be a fantastic public demonstration of what can be achieved with fast-charging. It’s a massive technical milestone.”
As the world leader in electric vehicle infrastructure, ABB offers the full range of charging solutions for electric cars, electric and hybrid buses as well as electrification solutions for ships and railways. ABB entered the EV-charging market back in 2010, and has sold 8,500 DC chargers, including high power chargers up to 350 kW, across 69 countries – more than any other manufacturer.
The I-PACE eTROPHY series supports the launch of the Jaguar I-PACE – Jaguar’s first electric vehicle – and reinforces Jaguar Land Rover’s future electrification strategy.
Marion Barnaby, Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY Championship Manager said: “With the inaugural Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY season fast approaching, we are incredibly excited to have ABB as the official charging partner. ABB’s ability to bring innovation and technology leadership to the series will be valued as we make history running the world’s first all-electric production-based car support series.”
