voestalpine debut as new Formula E partner at the races in Berlin

Präsentation des neuen E-Cars © Courtesy of Formula E

v.l.n.r: Gründer und CEO der Formel E Alejandro Agag, Formel-1-Star David Coulthard, voestalpine-CEO Wolfgang Eder © Courtesy of Formula E

19 May 2018 |

Just two weeks after announcing its new role as the future main sponsor of the European ABB FIA Formula E races, voestalpine is represented at the E-Prix in Berlin today for the first time. voestalpine CEO Wolfgang Eder offered an initial overview of the activities which will accompany the “voestalpine European Season 2019”: the “voestalpine European Races”, the first fully-electric racing series, will be run over its spectacular downtown circuits in cities including Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Monte Carlo. For the ten teams and their drivers, who include former Formula One aces Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa, this is also the opportunity to win an additional trophy in the special voestalpine rankings.

The fourth Berlin E-Prix, which today, on May 19, electrifies the grounds of the former Tempelhof airport, marks an exciting start for voestalpine’s partnership with the ABB FIA Formula E. The innovative race series is already at the forefront in fully-electric racing cars—Formula One Champion Nico Rosberg also presents the brand-new race car for the coming season at the races in Berlin. During the presentation of the new e-car voestalpine CEO Wolfgang Eder, together with founder and CEO of Formula E Alejandro Agag, took a look into the future of electromobility.

With its technologies and consistent focus on research and development, voestalpine already occupies a leading position as a global driver of innovation in the dynamic and growing e-mobility industry. Whether ultra high-strength body components, central safety devices for batteries, or intelligent product solutions for electric motors, the Group has long since been actively shaping the future of mobility with its know-how, and cooperates with the most advanced automotive customers around the world.

According to a Handelsblatt Research Institute study*, the expansion in electromobility is creating a growing market, especially for steel: in a purely electric vehicle 40 to 100 kilograms of electrical steel are required for the motor alone, while for a hybrid motor this figure is calculated at between 10 and 30 kilograms. Over the coming years this will result in additional demand for electrical steel which, even just in Europe, will be worth billions of euros. Accordingly, the share of ultra high-strength steels, which play a major role in reducing weight in automotive manufacturing while offering the best possible levels of crash performance, will continue to rise.

*Study on the role of steel in electromobility by the Handelsblatt Research Institute, scheduled for publication in summer 2018

The voestalpine Group

In its business segments, voestalpine is a globally leading technology and capital goods group with a unique combination of materials and processing expertise. This global Group comprises about 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries on all five continents. It has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995. With its top-quality products and system solutions using steel and other metals, the voestalpine Group is one of the leading partners of the automotive and consumer goods industries in Europe as well as the aerospace and oil & natural gas industries worldwide. voestalpine is also the world market leader in turnout technology, special rails, tool steel, and special sections. In the business year 2016/17, the Group generated revenue of EUR 11.3 billion, with an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 1.54 billion; it had about 50,000 employees worldwide.