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Electric vehicle technology is advancing at breakneck speed. And the supporting infrastructure must keep pace. Nowhere is this more visible than in the ABB Formula E Championship, an all-electric motorsport where innovation drives every lap. At the recent Portland E-Prix, ABB revealed its latest engineering achievement: a mobile charging unit built to meet the intense demands of Formula E’s Gen 3 race cars. This ABB Formula E charger isn’t just a concept. It’s a fully functional, mobile, and scalable solution. It reflects lean engineering principles and offers a glimpse into the future of high-performance EV infrastructure.
Lean Design in Motion: ABB’s Portable Charging Innovation
At its core, the ABB Formula E mobile charger is a reconfigured version of the company’s standard Terra 184 unit. Rated originally at 180 kilowatts, this mobile variant has been rebranded for the racing series as a 160-kilowatt charger. While the drop in rated power raised eyebrows, ABB engineers emphasized that the core internals remain identical to the Terra 184. The design modification was made to meet the specific power envelope needed by the Formula E organization—not due to technical limitations.
The charger features dual outlets, enabling it to charge two vehicles simultaneously. Each output provides 80 kW of power—ideal for topping up the Gen 3 Formula E cars within tight, regulated charging windows. These vehicles operate at high voltage levels (typically 700–850V), so charging must be both fast and precise. According to engineers on-site, it takes about 45 minutes to fully charge a depleted battery, though partial charges during practice or qualifying stints can be completed in as little as 15 minutes.
Compact, Rugged, and Race-Ready
Adaptability is the hallmark of great engineering, and ABB’s design team clearly understood the mobile use case. The modified Terra 184 was reengineered into a smaller, transport-friendly package mounted on wheels for ease of mobility. Its enclosure includes LED charge status indicators, standardized CCS2 connections, and ruggedized input terminals for rapid generator hookup—essential features for a traveling race series.
ABB designed this unit specifically for Formula E, but the company sees broader potential. Mobile charging is gaining traction in fleet logistics, disaster response, and remote construction—areas where grid access is unreliable or nonexistent. ABB already supplies a 50-kW mobile charger for these scenarios. However, the Formula E unit could serve as a blueprint for future high-power, portable solutions.
Why CCS2 and Not Proprietary Tech?
One of the most notable shifts with the Gen 3 Formula E cars is the move away from proprietary charging protocols toward open standards. ABB, now the official charging partner for the series, required that all Gen 3 race cars adopt CCS2—the European DC fast charging standard. This transition marks a critical milestone for safety, interoperability, and long-term reliability in high-voltage EV charging.
According to ABB engineers, aligning with CCS2 simplifies certification, improves robustness, and reduces risk for both teams and infrastructure providers. While Europe has mandated CCS2 through legislation, North America’s transition to standards like NACS (North American Charging Standard) is still underway. ABB’s global strategy emphasizes flexibility and adaptation to local regulatory and consumer demands—hallmarks of lean manufacturing.
The Grid vs. the Track: Lessons for Residential Charging
The ABB team faced questions about whether Formula E’s advanced charging tech could eventually reach residential homes. The short answer: not easily. Most U.S. homes rely on 100- to 200-amp service panels. That’s not enough to support high-voltage, high-amperage fast charging. Making it possible would require major upgrades—rewiring homes and reinforcing the local grid.
That said, homeowners with on-site energy storage and solar arrays (like one engineer on-site noted) could benefit from DC-to-DC charging concepts. Direct current distribution, long a theoretical goal for maximizing efficiency, may become viable in new home developments. ABB is exploring these possibilities, though for now, the Formula E unit remains a commercial solution built for the track.
Powertrain Evolution: Smaller Batteries, Bigger Regeneration
The Gen 3 Formula E cars have downsized their batteries from mid-50 kWh to just 38.5 kWh—yet they’ve gained tremendous performance. Nearly 95% of the battery capacity is usable, and new regenerative braking capabilities are game-changing. Rear motors can now regen at up to 350 kW, while the front motors deliver 250 kW—yielding a combined regen potential of 600 kW.
This evolution explains why physical brake discs are nearly obsolete in these vehicles. Race observers noted the minuscule size of rear brake components, emphasizing how lightly they are used. Only in scenarios where regenerative systems fail would the discs take over. These insights could inform road car development, especially for performance EVs seeking to eliminate redundant mechanical systems.
The Road Ahead: Will Formula E Stay Relevant?
Despite its progress, Formula E’s long-term role in motorsport remains uncertain. Some experts predict that as Formula One eventually transitions to electric, the need for a separate electric-only series may diminish. If the core technologies in Formula E don’t find their way into consumer or performance vehicles, the investment might become harder to justify.
That said, Formula E has served as a crucible for next-gen EV technology—from motor efficiency and battery chemistry to lean, mobile infrastructure like the ABB charger. The event in Portland underscored this dual role: part racing spectacle, part research lab.
ABB’s Broader Charging Strategy
Beyond the track, ABB is deeply involved in shaping North America’s public charging landscape. With U.S. regulations pushing for NEVI-compliant chargers (minimum 150 kW per port), ABB is investing heavily to adapt its products—including integration with NACS. Conversations with Tesla and other OEMs are ongoing, and the company’s history in standardization makes it a key player in the transition.
The ABB Formula E charger isn’t just a race-day necessity—it’s a signal of what’s to come. Standardized, high-power, mobile EV charging will become increasingly important as fleets, events, and consumers demand speed and flexibility from the grid.
Final Takeaways
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ABB’s mobile Formula E charger is a customized Terra 184 delivering dual 80 kW outputs, built specifically for Gen 3 racing.
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CCS2 adoption ensures interoperability and aligns with safety-certified standards.
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Portability and modularity make this a potential prototype for future mobile charging infrastructure.
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Lean engineering principles guide both its form factor and deployment efficiency.
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Technology developed for racing—including high regen rates and battery downsizing—could inform future EV innovations.
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