Fortescue Zero has developed an “ultra-fast booster system” that could increase the power of battery-electric mining vehicles.
The company launched the technology, which can provide a battery boost of more than 10 per cent in 30 seconds for motorsport vehicles, for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, where it will serve as the official Pit Boost provider for the all-electric motorsport series.
Fortescue Zero – the sustainability arm of Fortescue – believes there are broader applications, with the technology informing a six-megawatt solution to power battery-electric heavy mining equipment.
Fortescue Zero chief executive officer (CEO) Ellie Coates believes the hardware will bring excitement and innovation to the racetrack and world.
“The ultra-fast boost technology … not only takes motorsports to a new level, (but) it also has a flow-on effect to real-world practicalities too, including in heavy industry and on-road electric vehicle applications,” she said.
With help from battery intelligence software Elysia, the new ultra-fast technology for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has been formulated to optimise speed while also enhancing battery life.
“Fortescue Zero pushes the limits of what batteries, their infrastructure and intelligence systems can do in a safe, tested and innovative way,” Coates said.
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds said the integration of Fortescue Zero’s Pit Boost technology is not only a game-changer for motorsport, but is also cutting-edge technology with real-world relevance.
“This new technology will have enormous real-world benefits and tangibly contributes to our overarching mission of accelerating the development and uptake of EVs around the world,” he said.
The Pit Boost technology was deployed in round three of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and will continue to be deployed throughout the season, including rounds in Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai and Berlin.
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