Testing of new race cars and ABB’s charging equipment ahead of the ABB FIA Formula E season nine opener on January 14 suggest tighter racing in the 16-round world championship.
The net gains for the Gen3 race cars, even beyond the higher 321km/h top speed, will demand that drivers learn new braking points for previously familiar corners and should spell extra entertainment for fans, through closer racing and a wider variety of winners, says ABB.
“The upgrades, along with rules revisions that set a specific lap count for race length, will surely alter the way drivers approach their race plans and energy management strategies.
“In addition, new race venues will bring further unknowns into play.”
The global footprint of the ABB Formula E World Championship expands to Hyderabad, India, and Cape Town, South Africa in February, followed by Sao Paulo, Brazil, in March.
The United States stop in the 2023 campaign shifts west, from its New York City location of recent years to Portland, Oregon, in June.
Teams and drivers will have barely caught their breath from the Valencia testing when they arrive at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City for the season opener on January 14.
That starts a packed calendar that continues two weeks later in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The championship concludes its 16-round schedule with a double race in London in July.
As the official charging partner, ABB tested its technology at a December pre-season session in Valencia, Spain.
The four days of shakedown runs at the Ricardo Tormo circuit – covering 17,300km over 5128 laps, including a full simulated race day – showcased a new generation of race cars set to run under revised rules and significant shifts in key component suppliers.
The changes encompass everything from the tyres through to the cars’ bold paint schemes.
While potentially decisive factors like team switches by drivers, as well as all-new entries and race locations, are predictable, the arrival of the Gen3 cars has added an “all bets are off” air of intrigue, says ABB.
The new race cars have more power, less weight and vastly greater efficiency than their predecessors, with pre-season testing hinting that any team gaining an advantage in the early races could gain a championship-winning advantage.
For the 2023 campaign, ABB is responsible for replenishing the batteries of all 11 teams prior to each practice and qualifying session and ahead of every race.
ABB developed new hardware that delivers DC fast charges with a compact unit that prioritises reliable service, compact dimensions and light weight – all vital requirements for meeting demands. The new chargers, which provide charging rates up to 160kW, can service two cars at a time, reducing cargo loads when the cars and support gear travel between races.
“We’re delighted to bring our innovative charging solutions to the biggest global e-mobility stage – the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – continuing our drive to use the series as a testbed for new, more sustainable technologies,” says ABB e-mobility chief executive Frank Mühlon.
“The experience and knowledge we gain will be used to continuously improve ABB chargers for customer and consumer use.”
An ABB ambassador driving for the Mahindra Racing team, Lucas Di Grassi says the testing has been very successful.
“We had pretty much zero reliability problems with the car, and we were able to do a lot of laps and race simulations, so we are very happy. We are getting our heads around the Gen3 too, which is the main thing.”
Issues surfaced that will require adaptation and development by the teams.
Tyres provided by first-year supplier Hankook are, by design, longer-wearing than previous rubber, so drivers will have a learning curve in mastering their characteristics.
The cars also have drastically upgraded regeneration capability: 40% of the total energy expended in a race is expected come from regen, thanks to the addition of a 250kW powertrain to the front axle, in addition to the 350kW available at the rear.
Follow the series live during race weekends on ABB’s social media channels.
