One of the world’s leading female racing drivers, Simona De Silvestro, is to become a global ABB ambassador. Swiss-born De Silvestro, 30, will champion ABB’s contribution to e-mobility and diversity. She will combine that role with test-driving duties for the Venturi Formula E team.
“I’m delighted to be part of such an exciting partnership with ABB and Formula E,” said De Silvestro, “particularly as the Championship is growing in strength every year. Its values relating to sustainability and mobility, among many others, are such important topics for all of us and I’m proud to be able to contribute to their shared mission.”
De Silvestro believes gender should not be a deciding factor in motorsport. “Gender doesn’t matter when you’re doing 225 km/h into a turn,” she added.
Simona De Silvestro joins Sébastien Buemi as an ABB ambassador for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship
Buemi, who was the series’ second-season champion, will race this year with the Nissan e.Dams team. As ABB ambassadors of Formula E, De Silvestro and Buemi will champion ABB’s commitment as well as its pioneering technologies at the various races around the world. ABB is a pioneering technology leader in power grids, electrification products, industrial automation as well as robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally.
Frank Muehlon, Head of ABB’s Global Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, said:
“As a seasoned racing driver in several motorsports, Simona is an ideal person to champion the power and potential of e-mobility. In season 5, with her support, ABB will continue to push the boundaries of e-mobility as part of our commitment to run the world without consuming the earth.”
De Silvestro joins the ABB FIA Formula E Championship as it embarks on its biggest season yet. 11 teams, 22 drivers and nine global car manufacturers will compete for honours. The all-electric series will this year showcase its new Gen2 car. The car houses significant advances in battery technology. For the first time, it will allow a full race distance to be completed on a single charge. Gen2 cars will also be able to hit a top speed of 280km/h (174 mph). Another innovation is the ATTACK MODE while the FANBOOST has upgrades.
Season 5 of the Championship launches for the first time in the Middle East Ad Diriyah
New races in the Chinese resort city of Sanya and Swiss capital Bern further augment the calendar.
Throughout the season, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will be supported by the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY series. It will also rely on ABB technology in a live motor racing environment. That is compact Terra DC fast-chargers specially adapted to be easily freighted to the series’ host cities. The units will supply power to the 20 I-PACE cars at each event.
ABB’s title sponsorship of Formula E began in January 2018. It is a logical extension of the company’s market and technological leadership in electric-vehicle fast charging. To date, ABB has sold more than 8,500 direct-current chargers in 69 countries. That figure includes 1,200 high-power DC chargers capable of refreshing vehicle batteries at levels of up to 350 kilowatts and adding up to 200 kilometres of cruising range in as little as 8 minutes. ABB is also a leader in flash-charging technology for electric buses. It offers high power charging via an automated rooftop connection.
The Season 5 upgrades – most notably the Gen2 cars’ almost doubled battery capacity – present the ABB FIA Formula E Championship as an even more striking alternative to conventional racing. The e-races demonstrate that the world’s transition from fossil-fuel vehicles to electric transportation can be as exciting as it is environmentally sustainable.
Isn’t YuMi the coolest helmet carrier ever? Got to meet him last week @ABBgroupnews #abbyumi pic.twitter.com/i56M07BQE5
— Simona De Silvestro (@simdesilvestro) December 13, 2018
