Formula E is a new racing category that highlights innovations in power electronics that propel cars towards an all-electric future.
Formula E racing requires the latest sustainable – and most importantly – high-performance components to gain a competitive edge. The heart of the Formula-E electric car is its engine. Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical rotational energy. When the stator coils are energized, the magnetic flux of the coils forces the rotor magnets to turn. Although three-phase alternating current (AC) electric motors are the most common ones used in electric vehicles, there are different types of electric motors.
Electric energy storage technology (often considered the biggest enabler and limiting factor for EVs) performance is even more the EV motor that owns and supplies electricity. There are various technologies for storing electrical energy such as supercapacitors, chemical batteries, solid state batteries, etc. Lithium-ion (Li) chemical batteries currently offer the most practical balance between performance and commercial viability.
For three-phase AC induction motors, which are common to high-performance motors, a high-power inverter is required to convert battery power into DC power to provide three-phase AC power to the motor. This is the case with Formula E, one of the key areas where Formula E teams can gain an advantage by adopting higher performance electronics. However, this is a challenging task as complex control electronics are required to optimize the behavior of switching inverters to avoid high current and/or voltage peaks while maintaining high efficiency.
In an interview with Power Electronics News, Frank Muehlon, ABB’s global head of e-mobility infrastructure solutions, highlighted some aspects of Formula E power electronics, as well as renewable energy for a sustainable future.
Can you explain how ABB works on Formula E? What is its implementation technology? Could you give some background/overview of ABB’s partnership with Formula E?
The collaboration between ABB and Formula E, which began in January 2018, is an opportunity for technological development and represents the shared vision of ABB and Formula E to create a cleaner, more sustainable world for all. It combines the global leader in electric vehicle fast charging with the world’s first all-electric international motorsport category, the fastest growing series in motorsport.
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is ideal for ABB, which is at the forefront of the latest electrification and digital technologies. It provides ABB with a unique opportunity to engage with customers around the world, while bringing more of our technology to this global platform as we seek to push boundaries, take performance to new levels, drive progress and help build a more sustainable s future.