A pioneering motorsport team, Craft Bearings, has adopted ABB REACT 2 inverter and energy storage solution to help achieve its most ambitious target yet – to become the first team in Dakar Rally history to reduce its use of traditional diesel generators and be 100 percent solar powered for the service and support team.
Working in close collaboration with its partner, SoliTek, ABB’s efficient REACT 2 solar storage solution, has been installed as part of an off-grid solar installation on the Craft Bearings multipurpose Service truck. The set-up is being used to harness enough solar energy during the day to support the service and ancillary team as they undertake essential repairs to the race cars at night, as well as supply power to the team’s bivouacs, media and IT center.
The Dakar rally, which is currently underway in Peru, 6th to 17th January 2019, is known and respected as one of the most challenging and toughest events in motorsport. Often the routes take in mountainous and rocky terrains combined with extreme heat and dry conditions in very remote locations. As such, all the crews require access to remote power, which has traditionally been supplied by diesel generator sets.
For the 2019 event, the Craft Bearings team has set itself an ambitious target of reducing its dependence on temporary diesel power. It is aiming to generate 100 percent of its energy needed for service and supporting infrastructure in its multipurpose truck from solar, taking advantage of the South American climate.
