Enel X at the technology Grand Prix

Whether you are travelling on two wheels or four, driving on an urban road or a world championship racing circuit for electric vehicles, making all these driving experiences possible is Enel X technology

E-mobility is one of the four key areas of activity for Enel X, which already has a leading position in this sector at global level. Of course, there was no way we weren’t going to be playing a leading role in the two major sporting competitions for electric vehicles: Formula E for cars and MotoE for motorcycles. With these events, sport not only brings people together and provides thrilling entertainment, but it also contributes to respecting the environment through the development of technology.

From fast charging to micro-grids

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship, held on city circuits and organised for the first time in the 2014-2015 season, is the first and most important international motor racing competition for fully electric, single-seat cars. Enel is not just the official partner of Formula E, more importantly; Enel X provides the essential technologies.

When you are in a race, the decisive factor is speed. Our fast charging technology for electric batteries takes 7 times less time than conventional technologies: a Formula E single-seater is fully charged in about 45 minutes, compared to more than 5 hours for less advanced versions.

Perhaps our most important contribution to Formula E is the microgrid. Plants for generating electricity from renewables, electricity storage devices, smart systems for energy management, in addition to the cars themselves, all form part of an integrated network designed to optimise efficiency and sustainability. It is a “mini city” where everything is electrified, including buses for the public and machinery equipping the circuit: the equivalent, on a small scale, of the smart cities of the future.

In this city, a fundamental role is played by our most technologically advanced products: storage, which allows electricity to be distributed at any time, and the Energy Management System, which can provide in real time, via tablet or smartphone, all the data on consumption and other energy indicators, i.e., just what the technicians need before, during and after the race. But what matters most is the integration of all these components into a microgrid that minimises the impact of the EPrix on the electricity grid of the host city, making the event even more sustainable.

MotoE goes even further

The success of Formula E has led to the establishment of the motorcycle equivalent, which will debut in 2019 and will be called FIM Enel MotoE World Cup: in this case, Enel is actually the main sponsor, and Enel X is technical partner of MotoE ™.