Georg F. W. Schaeffler, shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG, visited the ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport squad at the penultimate race weekend in New York. He wanted to take a look behind the scenes live at the race track and gain an impression of the first pure electric and international race series and keep his fingers crossed for the team during the final spurt of the season. The commitment to innovation in Formula E complements perfectly the Schaeffler company strategy “Mobility for tomorrow,” with which the globally active technology company helps to shape the future of mobility.

For his visit, Georg F. W. Schaeffler selected one of the season highlights on the calendar of the third FIA Formula E season: the premiere of a car race in the mega metropolis New York. Picturesquely located with a view of the Manhattan skyline and the world famous Statue of Liberty, the penultimate race weekend comprised of races nine and ten was staged on a specially built two-kilometer long track in the Brooklyn harbor district. Thereby, the German ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport team made a leap forward and holds 2nd position with Lucas di Grassi in the drivers’ classification and 2nd position in the teams’ classification going into the season finale at the end of July in Montreal.

“I saw two fantastic races from our team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport and really enjoyed the spirit in Formula E. In Montreal in two weeks we now have the chance to claim both titles. After we were third in both classifications in the first season and in the second season finished second in both, it would of course be the crowning glory,” declared Schaeffler, who watched both races together with the Team Management directly in the pits. Beforehand, Schaeffler met Alejandro Agag, the boss of Formula E, to hold background discussions. Just a few weeks ago, Schaeffler extended the commitment in Formula E by another three years at the German home event into a technical cooperation contract with AUDI AG – the new team owner of ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport.

Schaeffler has been involved in the innovative electric race series since day one and designs, develops and builds the drivetrain, in a very committed and successful partnership with the ABT team, for the solitary German Formula E race car on the international starting grid since the 2015/2016 season. “For us, Formula E is one of many – but a perfect – field of activity for our engineers to gain knowledge and motivation in the increasingly relevant sphere of electric mobility. Our motorsport commitment that we pursue alongside Formula E in the DTM – with classic combustion engines – and in the FIA World Endurance Championship – with high-tech hybrid drivetrains trimmed for extreme efficiency – radiates not just to the outside world, but also internally. In Herzogenaurach we are delighted about victories claimed by our rapid ambassadors with the Schaeffler logo on the race car,” explained Georg F. W. Schaeffler in New York.

In the same way that Schaeffler introduces from the word go its technical expertise into Formula E, the technology company is also a pioneer in the electric mobility for road transport. For two decades, Schaeffler’s research and development departments have focused on this issue. In the recent past, the development team for electric vehicle components was doubled and during its work can directly resource the know-how from the race track. In the meantime, Schaeffler offers a multitude of products in order to electrify the entire drivetrain. From starter generators via 48-volt systems to wheel hub drives and E-axles. Also a focal point of the globally active technology company are electric vehicle concepts below the level of the automobile as well as the overall interaction of all visionary and innovative mobility concepts for an ecological and economical “Mobility for tomorrow.”