ABB power boost for world’s first e-touring challenge

ABB charges up racing cars at Formula-E curtain raiser

Given ABB’s status as a global leader in EV charging, it should be no surprise that the company has had a critical role to play in a landmark electric motorsport event: the world’s first e-Touring Car Challenge. It took place on the streets of Hong Kong on Saturday, the 8th of October, the day before the first Formula E race of the 2016-2017 season.

The race is run by the International Automobile Federation (FAI), best-known as the governing body of Formula 1. In 2014, the FAI launched Formula E, promising all the glamour, excitement, and adrenaline of elite motor-racing…but without the fumes.

The e-Touring Car Challenge is the next step in the attempt to create events that represent a vision of the motor industry’s future, where energy, environment, and entertainment belong together. Reports from the local media suggest that the crowds weren’t disappointed: professional drivers and Hong Kong celebrities battled their way around a 2.2km track, through ten laps of scrapes and shunts that left many of the finishers with their front bumpers dangling!

But to make it all happen, you need the first-class EV charging technology, and that’s where ABB comes in. Smart Charge (HK) Limited, the event’s official charger partner, chose ABB’s Terra 53 CJG fast-chargers to power up the souped-up VW e-Golfs that sped around Hong Kong’s Central District. Installed close to the track, they got the cars ready to run during the gap between the qualifying race and the main event. ABB Hong Kong engineer TaiTsang Wan was on hand to make sure the charging process went as smoothly and as fast as possible.

The popularity of Formula E, and the introduction of the e-Touring Car Challenge, show an enthusiasm for electric transport that is only likely to grow as a proliferation of electric cars come onto the market in the next few years. With its comprehensive range of EV charging infrastructure solutions, ABB will be at the heart of the shift to the clean transport future.

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About the author

Urs Waelchli

I’m leading ABB’s global EV Charging Infrastructure business. Prior to this I have held various positions in operations and general management in the automation industry in Switzerland and for over 10 years in China. I hold a Master Degree in Information Technology and Economics from the University of Zurich. Within ABB’s strong portfolio of technologies and products, EV Charging is a great example on how our technology and innovation supports a better world. What started as a startup concept, an idea to use electricity to power cars is now a major development that impacts the world in generating more sustainable transport solutions for cars and busses. It is a great challenge but also a pleasure, to drive this development forward around the globe – and help positioning ABB in a leading position.
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