Swiss power and automation company ABB has become the new title sponsor for electric car racing championship Formula E, a competition that also aims to accelerate the development of e-mobility technology and infrastructure.
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In an announcement on January 9, ABB chief executive officer Ulrich Spiesshofer called the partnership a “natural fit” as ABB’s electrification technology will complement Formula E’s electric street racing worldwide tour. The race series is now officially known as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
“We stand for running the earth without consuming the world. We stand for sustainable transport. We stand for leading edge, pioneering technology not only on the electrification side but also in the digital platform side surrounding this race all together,” said Spiesshofer.
In a statement, ABB added that the partnership with Formula E will emphasise that sustainable mobility will be the solution for the future of transport since it is “clean, efficient and connected to an ecosystem”.
Since it first entered the electric vehicle (EV) charging market in 2010, ABB has increased its global base to more than 6,000 fast-charging stations in countries like Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
The company offers an electric vehicle infrastructure that enables recharging electric cars, electric and hybrid buses as well as electrification solutions for ships and railways.
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We stand for running the earth without consuming the world. We stand for sustainable transport.
Ulrich Spiesshofer, chief executive officer, ABB
For its part, Formula E was launched in Beijing in September 2014, as an electric motorsport to increase the adoption of electric vehicles worldwide. Sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), racing takes place only on temporary city-center street circuits like New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Zurich.
Formula E founder and chief executive officer Alejandro Agag said in a statement: “I’m honored to welcome the global technology leader ABB as the title partner of Formula E, with its background and expertise in the field of electrification and digital technologies.
“Our two companies are synonymous with pushing the boundaries of what is possible”, he added.
The next Formula E Championship is set to take place in Zurich in July where ABB is headquartered, but the first race under the ABB banner was held last weekend in Morocco for the Marrakech E-Prix.
The fourth edition of series will be composed of 10 teams and 20 drivers competing in 11 cities spanning five continents in the fight to be crowned ABB Formula E champion.
