ABB Formula E holds first Spanish E-Prix in Valencia.
This weekend, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, which in the past has been only used for pre-season testing since 2017 but will now be an official race venue for the series. The double-header event will be held behind closed doors and follow strict COVID-19 protocols, created under guidance from the relevant authorities, to enable the event to take place in a safe and responsible manner.
The Circuit Ricardo Tormo, built in 1999, was designed to host MotoGP and is named after Spanish motorcycle legend, Ricardo Tormo. The natural racing amphitheater outside of Valencia, will see the 24 drivers face a challenging technical circuit, featuring a series of tight corners and short straights.
Theodor Swedjemark, ABB’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, said: “With energy management being a key element of ABB Formula E, the championship provides us with the perfect platform to showcase how we are pushing the boundaries of technology to improve energy efficiency and ultimately contribute to a more sustainable future.”
Marc Gómez, Country Managing Director of ABB in Spain, added: “The first E-Prix in Spain gives us the opportunity to highlight the great advancements in energy management and efficiency ABB is facilitating throughout the country. For example, ABB’s drives and high-efficiency motors have enabled the InterContinental Hotel Madrid to achieve energy savings of around 40 percent.”
ABB has recently called upon governments and industry to accelerate the adoption of high-efficiency motors and variable speed drives, such as those used in the Intercontinental Hotel Madrid, to combat climate change. Motor and drive technologies have seen exceptionally rapid advancement in the past decade. However, a significant number of industrial electric motor-driven systems in operation today – in the region of 300 million globally – are inefficient or consume much more power than required. Independent research estimates that if these systems were replaced with optimized, high-efficiency equipment, global electricity consumption could be reduced by up to 10 percent.
By developing energy storage and traction systems which will drive decarbonization and support the transition to more sustainable eMobility, ABB is also helping to reduce emissions. In 2020, ABB in Spain received an order for traction converters and energy storage systems to be fitted on 36 CITYLINK tram-trains, manufactured by Stadler’s Spanish subsidiary in Valencia. The new fleet will reduce emissions in and around Cardiff, Wales, operating with overhead lines on parts of the network while switching to battery mode on non-electrified sections and will replace the current diesel fleet.
Another example of how ABB is improving energy management in Spain, is the technology the Electrification business has provided for Zaragoza’s Smart City Project. The company has upgraded landmark buildings in the city with advanced energy monitoring through a cloud-based energy management platform, which is part of the ABB AbilityTM portfolio, incorporating multiple technologies. This has enabled the Spanish city to take its first steps towards ISO standards for energy management.
In addition, ABB is contributing to the Spanish Government’s target to progressively decarbonize the economy with technologies like its new Panto Up charger that’s currently improving the interoperability, flexibility and efficiency of Barcelona’s Metropolitan Transport electric bus fleet.
ABB started its operations in Spain in 1917 and currently employs more than 1,300 people across four large production, engineering and service centers, and more than 20 sales offices.
ABB is the title partner in 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 eMobility market back 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.
