Wheels up for ABB Formula E in Berlin season finale

Following two action-packed races in London, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is returning to Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport circuit for the double-header 2020/21 season finale, where the series’ first ever World Champion will be crowned.

Having been the location for six races last season in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a fixture for five of the previous six seasons, Tempelhof Airport is a venue the drivers know inside-out.

The challenging 2.355km circuit weaves its way around 10 turns on the giant apron of Berlin’s former main airport, but the high-grip concrete surface takes its toll on both energy levels and race strategies, giving potential for an unpredictable end to the season.

The Berlin E-Prix will also play host to the FIA Girls on Track program, which aims to encourage young women aged 8-18 to pursue motorsport careers. ABB, as a global partner, will lead a session focused on STEM.

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Theodor Swedjemark, ABB’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer: “Our partnership with Formula E gives the ideal platform to put a spotlight on sustainable development with regards to driving social progress, equality and diversity, as well as creating safe, fair and inclusive working environments. Supporting the FIA Girls on Track program provides a great opportunity to encourage women in STEM through the high-profile platform of motorsport.”

Germany leading the way in Europe
Frank Mühlon, President of ABB’s E-Mobility division: “With Germany being ABB’s third largest market in terms of overall group revenues and being the largest e-mobility market in Europe by size, it is a fitting venue to round off this season of the Championship and one where our technology is driving progress across a wide range of applications.”

Germany has now crossed the threshold of more than one million electrified cars on the road, of which more than 200,000 are pure battery electric. ABB is supporting this growth with its leading charging technology for all market segments, from residential and commercial to high-power highway charging or the charging of commercial heavy-duty vehicles and fleets.

Setting the standard in transparency and data security, ABB has become one of the first major charging suppliers to reach compliance for its Terra 53/54 and High Power DC chargers with the German “Eichrecht” system. Designed to ensure a transparent measurement and billing process, ABB has also developed a retrofit solution and Field Validation Test to enable chargers already in the field to attain this compliance.

ABB has been a technology partner for the European high-power charging network provider IONITY in Munich, Germany, since 2018, having already provided hundreds of 350 kW High-Power chargers, enabling a charging speed of 200 kilometers in as little as eight minutes. Furthermore, ABB was chosen in 2020 to be the roll-out partner of Shell Germany with a target of equipping their German gas-station network with Terra High-Power chargers.

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In addition, ABB and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are collaborating to jointly develop a cloud-based digital solution for the real-time fleet management of EVs. The solution will optimize the efficient use of EVs and speed up the electrification of transport fleets, helping operators worldwide maintain 100 percent business continuity as they transition to fully electric. To drive this progress in EV fleets, ABB has created a pureplay venture in Berlin that will develop tailored, scalable and cost-effective technologies for fleet operators which can be used by all vehicle OEMs.

Another example of ABB driving sustainable progress forward in Germany, is the switch from conventional to renewable energy sources. At the beginning of the year, ABB signed a new contract which guarantees that 100 per cent of the electricity for all ABB sites across the country will be from hydropower. The electricity comes from Europe, mainly from run-of-river or river hydroelectric power plants. The switch to renewable electricity significantly reduces the CO₂ emissions of ABB's sites in Germany and is a proof point for the company’s 2030 sustainability strategy, which aims to enable a low-carbon society, while working with customers and suppliers to implement sustainable practices across the value chain.

ABB Germany has 8,400 employees across 35 locations and is active in key sectors of the German economy, including Industry 4.0/digitization, e-mobility and smart homes and buildings.

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ABB is the title partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, an international racing series for fully electric single-seater racecars. Its technology supports the events at city-street tracks around the globe. ABB entered the e-mobility market in 2010, and today has sold more than 400,000 electric vehicle chargers across more than 85 markets; more than 20,000 DC fast chargers and 380,000 AC chargers, including those sold through Chargedot.

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 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

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