This year sees the second season of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Championship – a supporting event to the all-electric Formula E race series. In order to power the cars at every race, specially modified chargers have been created and we take a look inside the box.
Alongside the sixth season the ABB Formula E Championship, which is set to start in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on November 22, the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy championship travels the globe to some of the most interesting race locations of any motorsport series. However, race teams face the challenge of all the travel as well as the cars requiring specialist charging equipment. To help, a customized charging unit has been developed by ABB.
The Terra 53 DC Charger from ABB has undergone new technological developments to make it more compact and portable, which makes them easier to freight and meet the transportation requirements for the series schedule.
The unit, which measures 130cm high, 99.7cm wide, and 81.1cm deep, weighs 350kg (775lbs) and is on wheels for easier mobility.
Specs-wise, it’s a 50kW fast charger with a max charging voltage of 500Vdc, running through a CCS-2 plug to the I-Pace vehicles. Other features of the charging unit include five 10kW redundant power modules for reliability, two residual current protection devices, and a 7in touchscreen control panel for operation and a graphical visualization of the charging process.
All teams will be provided the customized chargers by title sponsor ABB, which is a leader in electrification solutions and charging technology.
ABB has been the sponsor of the FIA Formula E Championship since 2018, and with even more OEMs joining the series this season it will be more interesting than ever.
“I see ABB Formula E as our test-bed for innovative technologies, which we can apply to daily life in order for all of us to contribute to lowering our carbon footprint and contribute to a better world in the future,” said Peter Voser, ABB’s CEO and Chairman. “In the upcoming season, we will bring more of our technology, on both the electric and e-mobility sides, to the sport.”
