• ABB starts role as Official Charging Supplier ahead of Season 9 of all-electric motorsport World Championship

• Reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne joins as ABB ambassador

• ABB’s video series for FIA Girls on Track to continue in Season 9, with highlights from previous videos available here

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns for its ninth season and ABB’s first as Official Charging Supplier, as pre-season testing gets under way in Valencia, Spain.

Twenty-two cars from 11 teams will be running at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit until Friday December 16, testing the all-new Gen3 race car. This advanced, all-electric machine represents a pinnacle of e-mobility technology and will rely on ABB fast-chargers throughout the season.

ABB’s championship activities will be boosted with the addition of reigning World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne as an ABB ambassador. Vandoorne entered the series in 2018 and took the Season 8 title with one win, eight podiums and 213 points, driving for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. This year he races for the DS PENSKE Formula E Team and joins existing ABB ambassadors Lucas di Grassi (Mahindra Racing), Sébastien Buemi (Envision Racing) and Simona di Silvestro (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team).

Daniela Lužanin, Head of the ABB Formula E partnership, said: “This is a very exciting season for ABB as we continue to push the boundaries of sustainable technology as we commence our new role as Official Charging Supplier. It’s also great to welcome Stoffel Vandoorne as our new ambassador to help tell our story.”

ABB’s Formula E Race Charger is the result of collaboration between the company’s engineers and peers from motorsport governing body, the FIA, and Formula E. The compact, reliable and safe units will charge the Gen3 cars before race day and between practice sessions. It has been designed in a robust, custom and ergonomic way that allows for easy global transportation and installation.

Each charger can deliver a maximum power of 160kW and is able to charge two vehicles with 80kW of power simultaneously, before the race. This allows race teams to benefit from a ‘double charging’ capacity from one unit, significantly reducing the charger footprint and decreasing transportation emissions, as there is no longer a need for one unit per car.

This season, ABB will also continue its successful FIA Girls on Track video series as part of an ongoing partnership. Each episode features a different woman from within the Formula E community, showcasing the varied and influential roles held by women throughout the paddock to inspire the next generation. Highlights from last season’s series are available to view here.

After this week’s test, the race season will begin in Mexico City on January 14. The season calendar comprises 16 races in 11 global locations, including new host cities: Hyderabad, Cape Town, São Paolo and Portland.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.  www.abb.com

About Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation.

The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities are united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and planet. www.FIAFormulaE.com 
For Formula E media enquiries, please contact - media@fiaformulae.com