Following his win in China, ‘JEV’ has now prevailed in the Principality where he won in dominant fashion, from lights to flag. He also remains close friends with his greatest rival André Lotterer with whom he is currently one point ahead of in the drivers standings. The DS TECHEETAH driver is ahead of his team colleague in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship as a whole, while in the voestalpine European Races rankings the opposite is true—here Lotterer remains in the lead. Here the key facts about the weekend on the Côte d’Azur.

JEV is Number 1

His friends all call him JEV—an amalgamation of his initials. Yet Jean-Éric Vergne, who turned 29 in April, also likes to lead from the front. He leads the championship rankings. That means the current ABB FIA Formula E Champion may succeed in something his predecessors, Nelson Piquet Jr, Sébastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi, were all unable to achieve, namely securing the title for a second time, even defending it directly. Vergne is seen as one of the good guys in Formula E because of his straightforwardness. Even in his hour of victory he remained of the opinion that this year’s Formula E should have been driven over the full circuit layout in Monaco, rather than on the modified version. Which, if you listen carefully, is clearly a compliment for this electric series: “Our cars and our energy storage systems have long been capable of this, and anyway, Formula E is strong enough in itself. We don’t need to shy away from comparisons with Formula One on exactly the same circuit, because we have our own strengths and qualities. It’s not just about lap times.”

Jean-Eric Vergne

An unusual friendship between two team rivals

When it comes to qualities, one feature of Formula E is that, in contrast with other race series, there are also close friendships between team colleagues, even though in motorsport a team mate is usually seen as the first competitor to beat. That’s because a race driver’s performance can always be precisely measured against that of the only other driver on the track who is in the same team and is identically equipped. This comparison makes friendship between a team’s two drivers impossible. Or perhaps not? Although Vergne and Lotterer are now both in the lead and battling it out for the title in both the ABB Formula E Championship as a whole and the voestalpine European Races (in reverse order), their friendship remains as strong as ever: “Obviously there’s no reason to change anything,” says the Frenchman about his partner. “Nothing can come between us, and nothing will change our friendship. We both have great respect for one another, and that’s all that counts. Even though things can change very fast in Formula E, and clearly you never know what will happen. But just being so close in the rankings doesn’t change anything.”

Andre Lotterer currently leads the voestalpine European Races

The unknown hero of Formula E: Oliver Rowland

Eight different winners in nine races, yet one of the season’s heroes is British driver Oliver Rowland who has never won an E-Prix in his career. In Monaco, the Nissan e.dams team driver was awarded three additional points for the fastest time in qualifying, even though he was pushed back due to a penalty he accrued in the previous race. Rowland came in second, crossing the finishing line in Monaco even ahead of his famous team colleague Sébastien Buemi who, to that date, had remained unbeaten in Formula E racing in the Principality. With three pole positions this season, and 59 points despite a variety of technical problems, Rowland can be proud of his performance during his debut season (discounting a guest appearance in Punta del Este in 2015 as the replacement driver for Heidfeld at Mahindra), and especially considering he was not originally one of the 22 drivers nominated for this season. It was only after Nissan driver Alex Albon changed over to another series at the last minute that an unexpected cockpit place became free for the replacement driver Rowland. The Brit, champion of the 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 series, comes from the Renault junior program, and was placed third in the Formula 2 Championship in 2017.

Rejoicing over the VENTURI podium placing

The most emotional celebrations were those of the VENTURI Formula E Team. Felipe Massa secured third place on the podium during his team’s home race, marking the former Formula One Vice Champion and Monaco resident’s best Formula E result to date. “Until now, I’ve never had a completely clean race that’s let me get the best performance out of the car. There were no errors today, and, unlike Hong Kong, I didn’t get pushed out. Standing on the podium and watching my son cheering for me was so special—it’s a wonderful feeling. It makes you so proud when you see something like that.” Venturi team boss Susie Wolff is also proud, dedicating the podium placement to Venturi President Gildo Pastor: “That’s for you, Gildo!” Wolff was particularly pleased that this third place precisely reflected the day’s sporting performances and, in contrast to Edoardo Mortara’s win in Hong Kong, had nothing to do with incidents involving the leading drivers.

To the Formula E Microsite: http://www.voestalpine.com/formele/en

Wolfgang Eder (voestalpine-CEO), Alejandro Agag (Formula E CEO), Jean Todt (FIA)

Expert clusters on topics such as robotics were soon established in order to learn from each other and pursue topics together. Last year, a training curriculum was developed for employees who are not necessarily digitalization experts. At the beginning of February 2019, the first training took place in Kapfenberg. In a one-week Digital Ambassador Qualification Program (DAQP), the first 19 participants completed the Digital Academy’s basic program, says Project Manager Johannes Eichler, Global Digitalization Manager.

Imparting basic knowledge

The qualification program is targeted at first and second management levels, operations and production managers, maintenance staff and IT managers from production and sales companies in all regions of the High Performance Metals Division. However, the program is even beneficial for digitalization experts. Eichler explains, “It is important to understand that it is the employees who can promote the idea of digital transformation and make a difference in their organizations. Digitalization is not limited to technology, so we have put together a combination of technical and cultural topics to give them the tools they need.”

The intensive program includes modules on automation and robotics as well as on agile change management. “For every topic, we used the input of external specialists to supplement the voestalpine perspective,” comments Global Chief Digital Officer Michael Eder. “This allowed us to translate theory into practice and highlight challenges, insights and opportunities.”

After they have completed the DAQP, the Digital Academy would like to integrate all participants into the Division’s digital community, for example by having them participate in the expert clusters.

Common language for the digital community

“It was important to establish a common language on this topic. Now, the participants can work together and be ambassadors, translators and change agents for digitalization,” says Eder. The basic program is currently in great demand. As Johannes Eichler points out, “The fact that the pilot event was so well received is naturally making waves. The Metal Forming and Metal Engineering Divisions would also like to participate.” Starting in July, a program will be offered every two months. And the Digital Academy’s Deep Dive modules will go into more depth on special topics.

The FH Joanneum in Kapfenberg provides the DCC with organizational and program development support. Hands-on classes for the DAQP participants were held in the university’s Smart Production Lab.

Deep Dive modules

Like the Digital Ambassador Qualification Program, the Deep Dive modules will cover both technical and cultural topics. The first module will be on the “Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Lab” of Alexander Pokorny, the expert for DCC Data Analytics. It will start in June and be followed by modules on “Agile Change” and “Cybersecurity”. Thomas Schober, the Division’s IT Security Manager, was also involved in the DAQP and designed the Deep Dive course on security: “Cybersecurity is one of the necessary pillars of digitalization. It offers many opportunities, but there are also risks. We want to hone the awareness of the participants so that they consider security issues in all digitalization projects.

Marion Drescher from Human Resources would like people to learn from her module that the Division’s digital journey is about more than just using the latest technologies: “In these times of increasing complexity and uncertainty, we have to respond even faster to changes. And that requires new management methods and approaches. That is why we have integrated modules into the DAQP that enable the participants to recognize the sense of urgency of the digital transformation and, in the next step, try out new, agile working methods and leadership approaches.”

With its compacore® innovation, voestalpine has developed a manufacturing method that is ideal for serial production of full-faced bonded stators and rotors. In a newly developed inline process, highest quality electrical steel, with a special self-bonding coating is bonded to form lamination stacks. This process avoids the interlaminar eddy current losses that result from other joining processes such as welding or punched stacking and improves the electromagnetic properties of the stacks.

Central locking, window regulators, wipers, stability programs, radiator fans, speedometers, exterior mirrors, seat adjustment, generators—what do these car components have in common? Precisely, they are all powered with electric motors. Over 100 of these motors are at work in cars. And, of course, there are the powerful electric motors in all types of electric cars.

The driving heart

It contains specialized components that provide the necessary power—including highly efficient lamination stacks (compacore®) for the rotors and stators.

compacore® lamination stacks in a hybrid motor.

The stacks are made of thin electric steel layers that are bonded with a baked self-bonding varnish. This process minimizes unwanted, uncontrolled electromagnetic fields. Since the technology of the bonded rotor and stator stacks does not require welding points or clamps for bonding, the integrity of the insulating layer between the lamination layers is not compromised. This benefits the electromagnetic properties of the lamination stacks and gives designers greater creative freedom. Dimension accuracy of the components is a given.

The benefits at a glance:

• Higher efficiency, greater vehicle range
• Guaranteed, verifiable properties
• More design freedom—smaller dimensions possible
• Improved acoustics through full-faced bonding
• Better thermal management—less cooling required

Read more on the compacore® microsite.

compacore®—the quiet powerhouse

compacore for efficient electric motors

Full-faced bonding of electrical steel layers offers even more benefits, especially for mobility applications. The mechanical power of the engine is accompanied by heat dissipation and typically more or less perceptible noise. Almost everyone is familiar with how an electric mixer heats up with use or has heard the humming of an approaching electric locomotive. If the layers in the stacks are not firmly bonded to each other, electromagnetic fields will cause them to vibrate and eventually generate audible sound waves: the motor hums. The “silent design” of the compacore® stacks bonds electrical steel layers over their full face with baking varnish, effectively preventing this. It also improves the efficiency of the motor, an effect that is especially noticeable in smaller motors such as those used in eBikes. That is why compacore® stacks are also used in these motors and—after final production tests under customer supervision—went into series production this past March.

Prototype construction increased tenfold

The construction of prototypes is an indicator of trend development. This is especially true in the electromobility sector. „We have ensured series reliability and are currently optimizing the process in order to be able to cover customer demand on time,“ comments Karl Radlmayr.

The production station for lamination stacks in Nagold.

The electrification of the powertrain is one of the most important future topics in the mobility market segment. This means the interdivisional voestalpine development compacore® has enormous potential.

Visit us at CWIEME 2019 in Berlin, May 21-23, 2019, Stand D21 in Hall 2.2.

Additional Material

• compacore (https://www.voestalpine.com/compacore/en)
• voestalpine Automotive Components Nagold

Expert clusters on topics such as robotics were soon established in order to learn from each other and pursue topics together. Last year, a training curriculum was developed for employees who are not necessarily digitalization experts. At the beginning of February 2019, the first training took place in Kapfenberg. In a one-week Digital Ambassador Qualification Program (DAQP), the first 19 participants completed the Digital Academy’s basic program, says Project Manager Johannes Eichler, Global Digitalization Manager.

Imparting basic knowledge

The qualification program is targeted at first and second management levels, operations and production managers, maintenance staff and IT managers from production and sales companies in all regions of the High Performance Metals Division. However, the program is even beneficial for digitalization experts. Eichler explains, “It is important to understand that it is the employees who can promote the idea of digital transformation and make a difference in their organizations. Digitalization is not limited to technology, so we have put together a combination of technical and cultural topics to give them the tools they need.”

The intensive program includes modules on automation and robotics as well as on agile change management. “For every topic, we used the input of external specialists to supplement the voestalpine perspective,” comments Global Chief Digital Officer Michael Eder. “This allowed us to translate theory into practice and highlight challenges, insights and opportunities.”

After they have completed the DAQP, the Digital Academy would like to integrate all participants into the Division’s digital community, for example by having them participate in the expert clusters.

Common language for the digital community

“It was important to establish a common language on this topic. Now, the participants can work together and be ambassadors, translators and change agents for digitalization,” says Eder. The basic program is currently in great demand. As Johannes Eichler points out, “The fact that the pilot event was so well received is naturally making waves. The Metal Forming and Metal Engineering Divisions would also like to participate.” Starting in July, a program will be offered every two months. And the Digital Academy’s Deep Dive modules will go into more depth on special topics.

The FH Joanneum in Kapfenberg provides the DCC with organizational and program development support. Hands-on classes for the DAQP participants were held in the university’s Smart Production Lab.

Deep Dive modules

Like the Digital Ambassador Qualification Program, the Deep Dive modules will cover both technical and cultural topics. The first module will be on the “Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Lab” of Alexander Pokorny, the expert for DCC Data Analytics. It will start in June and be followed by modules on “Agile Change” and “Cybersecurity”. Thomas Schober, the Division’s IT Security Manager, was also involved in the DAQP and designed the Deep Dive course on security: “Cybersecurity is one of the necessary pillars of digitalization. It offers many opportunities, but there are also risks. We want to hone the awareness of the participants so that they consider security issues in all digitalization projects.

Marion Drescher from Human Resources would like people to learn from her module that the Division’s digital journey is about more than just using the latest technologies: “In these times of increasing complexity and uncertainty, we have to respond even faster to changes. And that requires new management methods and approaches. That is why we have integrated modules into the DAQP that enable the participants to recognize the sense of urgency of the digital transformation and, in the next step, try out new, agile working methods and leadership approaches.”

What is Formula E?

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the brainchild of Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag. Working in Formula One, his tasks included acquiring sponsors. Once he had a customer who, for ecological and noise reduction reasons, no longer wished to advertise in Formula One, realizing this had ceased to be consistent with his company’s image. That encouraged Agag to think about establishing a race series which placed greater value on promising drive alternatives and sustainability. A few years later he convinced Jean Todt, President of the world motorsport federation FIA, that his idea had merit, and the first race in this new championship was run in Beijing, on September 13, 2014.

Formula E’s vision and objectives

At Formula E, they have integrated a sustainability mind-set into every action they take as they aspire to accelerate change towards an electric future, one race and one city at a time. Through the championship, Formula E aims to raise awareness and inspire change in sustainable practices, contributing to reducing global emissions and their impact on the environment.

What is the key characteristic of Formula E?

„Gen2“

Formula E has a single chassis type which all the teams must use. With the start of the 2018/19 season, FE18 Spark Racing Technology, better known as Gen2, replaced the Sport SRT_01E which had been used for the first four years. In the first year of Formula E the cars also raced with identical powertrains. However, since the second year of the championship, registered manufacturers have been permitted to develop their own e-motors, inverters, transmissions, rear suspension, and software. Currently nine of the 11 teams drive with their own specially designed powertrains.Antriebsstrang an.

Is the battery also a uniform component?

Yes. The battery is a uniform component developed in cooperation between McLaren Applied Technologies, Sony, and Lucid Motors. The battery stores a total of 54 kWh of power of which the drivers have 52 kWh available during the race (analogue to the 28 kWh of useable power in the uniform Williams Advanced Engineering battery used in the first four seasons).

What are the major differences between Formula E and Formula One?

The primary difference is naturally the powertrain. Formula One uses six-cylinder hybrid engines, while Formula E exclusively uses electric drives. Formula One cars have a significantly higher maximum speed, and faster curve speeds. But when it comes to acceleration, the two race cars are already on a par, speeding from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. However, there is one major difference: Formula One teams build their cars themselves; in Formula E identical cars are manufactured and made available to the teams. This guarantees that the teams compete on a much more level playing field. The proof: seven different teams have won the first seven E-Prix of the season.

Who takes pole position in a Formula E race, and why?

Races run on circuits are organized as follows: all the cars simultaneously complete a certain number of rounds of a closed circuit, with a single line serving as the start and finish. The cars usually start in a slightly staggered arrangement, in rows of two. Consequently, there is a huge advantage in starting as far to the front as possible, especially on a tight city circuit. For that reason, drivers need to be as fast as possible during the separate qualification training in which a single lap is timed. Usually it’s the driver with the fastest qualifying time who starts in pole position, with the second fastest a few meters behind them, on the other side of the asphalt lane. In Formula E the standard qualification format has been slightly modified: the drivers are first divided into different qualifying groups, driving the qualification training according to a fixed starting sequence. They have six minutes to drive. Afterwards, the five fastest drivers compete again in a “Super Pole”, racing to secure starting places 1 to 6. In this round, the times from the first part of the qualification training are ignored. The fastest driver in this group gets to start the race from the Julius Bär pole position, as well as being awarded three championship points.

How long does a race last?

This season heralds a new race format: the race is run over 45 minutes, and when the leading car crosses the start and finishing line they drive one more lap. This system is particularly challenging for strategists: no one can precisely predict how many laps will be completed in total, and therefore the energy management must be calculated with extreme precision, and adapted to the conditions and events during the race (rain, safety car phases, etc.).

Are there pit stops?

During the first four seasons the drivers had to change cars because the drive batteries didn’t have sufficient capacity to cover an entire race distance. From this season onwards this is now possible, and every driver can now compete without needing a pit stop. But if there is a technical defect which requires repairs to be undertaken, the car can be driven into a special side lane–the pit–where minor repairs can be made. As a rule, and in contrast to other race series, this rarely happens in Formula E.

What is the Formula E race format? Are there special rules?

The ABB Formula E Championship races include several very innovative modules which generate more race action, and are particularly familiar to younger generations of viewers accustomed to video games. They include, for example, a Fanboost. Six days before the race and up to 15 minutes before the start, fans can select their favorite driver. The five drivers who have been chosen by fans to qualify for the prized Fanboost are awarded a substantial boost of additional power which they can apply during a five second window in the second half of the race. It’s ideal for an important overtaking maneuver, for example. This year also features an Attack Mode. In order to launch the Attack Mode the driver must load their race car by diverging from the racing line to drive through the activation zone where they can collect an additional 25 kW of power. Drivers who secure the additional power–that means speed–have a couple of laps in which to use this power and drive in a more offensive manner. This gives them the chance to more easily overtake a few of the cars in front of them. Viewers can spot the race cars currently in Attack Mode because their Halo systems (security bar over the cockpit) are illuminated.

What makes the series special for fans? What happens during a race weekend?

E-Village with festival character.

A unique feature for fans is the ability to directly influence the outcome of race via the Fanboost. The event itself is designed for the benefit of the public: the circuits are usually located in city centers and are easily accessible, while before and after the race attractions and activities focusing on e-mobility and the technology of the future are available for the whole family. There is also very close contact with the drivers: from autograph hours to the E-race itself, there are many ways in which the stars are directly involved.

Are the drivers professionals, and what did they do before Formula E was invented?

The drivers in Formula E are some of the best in the world. They started driving in karts as youngsters, and, year for year, have usually been among the best of their generation worldwide. Only in Formula One will you find some race drivers who are better. However, in contrast to Formula One you can’t “buy your way in” to Formula E. That means all 22 drivers currently on the Formula E circuit were selected purely on the basis of sporting performance. As a result, the overall quality is simply unique. All the drivers are total professionals, with several coming from Formula One. When time allows, some also drive in other series, usually the World Endurance Championship WEC (e.g., 24 h Le Mans), or in the DTM, the German Touring Car Masters.

What can a driver do to be faster than their rivals?

The team can make a difference through preparation. Although the cars themselves are the same, the teams use their own drives, or manufacturers’ drives. It’s also possible to make adjust the set up to enhance performance. The driver, in turn, must use the simulator in order to be well prepared for each circuit. During the race itself, the key features which differentiate the drivers are the line driven, behavior during duels, the feeling for how a situation or the circuit develops, and the tires. Energy management is also vital. The way the driver brakes, steers, and accelerates, as well as exactly where they do this, helps determine not only speed, but also power consumption. The aim is to use as little energy as possible while driving as fast as possible.

Why doesn’t Formula E drive on proper circuits like the other race series?

E-Prix Paris in the heard of the city

Historically, and at the beginning of the series in particular, it was difficult to build a race car for standard racetracks, because in order to recuperate as much energy as possible from braking you need lots of tight curves in which the drivers break often and sharply. This rarely happens on a racetrack with fast curves. The founder of the series, Alejandro Agag, quickly realized that the ideal location for a Formula E race was, in any case, in the city. This is because tightly bending circuits are good for recuperating energy, and also because the idea behind Formula E is to drive in city centers, rather than round circuits somewhere out in the countryside. As the huge potential for electric vehicles primarily lies in cities, and this is a development cities are encouraging, city racing is a good fit.

Have any women driven in the races?

Susie Wolff as successful team leader

Yes. We have tried to support women in Formula E right from the start. To date Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro (4 races), Italian Michela Cerruti (4), and Englishwoman Katrin Legge (2) have all been at the start. Silvestro is currently also the reserve driver in the Venturi team– the team in which ex-Formula One test driver Susie Wolff is now boss. Edo Mortara’s win in Hong Kong 2019 was the first in the history of top class racing in which a women was in charge of the winning team.

Where are the cars built?

Spark Technology and Dallara (an Italian chassis manufacturer) build the cars together and make them available to the teams.

What can the teams influence, which elements are predetermined?

The teams are permitted to develop the e-motor, inverter, transmission, rear suspension, and software for the registered manufacturer. In addition, for each race they can jointly agree on a race strategy which is primarily determined by the layout of the particular circuit, the sequence and number of curves, braking zones, straights, as well as the nature of the asphalt surface.

pit lane

Local heroes dream of premiere

Formula E race track in Berlin

The voestalpine European Races 2019 are approaching the finishing straight—the fourth and therefore penultimate stop in Europe is Berlin, capital of a country which is home to many of the world’s major automobile manufacturers.
For three of the teams, this tenth race in the fifth season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is also a home race: Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, BMW i Andretti Motorsport, and HWA RACELAB are all local heroes, as are drivers André Lotterer, Daniel Abt, Pascal Wehrlein, and Maximilian Günther. Of the four, Günther, the GEOX DRAGON driver with Austrian roots, has strongly qualified as a contender for this race by his performances to date, particularly in Paris. A first win for Wehrlein (MAHINDRA RACING) is long overdue. He most recently secured a solid fourth place in Monaco from his starting spot in the first row. And unbelievably, despite his many top placings, André Lotterer, too, has never won an E-Prix. This would be a good time to do so because the 38-year-old from Duisburg is right in the running to win the season’s most important titles, including the voestalpine European Races.

The showdown approaches

The tension is building: in Monaco Jean-Éric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH) was the first (!) driver to win a second race this season. Consequently, the Frenchman is also leading the championship, with races in Berlin, Bern, and two races in New York still to go. Vergne is ahead of his team colleague and friend Lotterer, while in the voestalpine European Races rankings the opposite is true—here the German is in the lead over Vergne who shares second place with Mitch Evans (Panasonic Jaguar Racing) and Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing). Oliver Rowland is lying in wait in third place.

In an interview André Lotterer, the leading driver in the voestalpine European Races, tells us what these title fights means to him.

Mr. Lotterer, you’re leading in the voestalpine European Races rankings.

ANDRE LOTTERER: „A wonderful feeling! After my second place in Paris, I got to hold the trophy for a few moments—it’s incredible. And now I’m coming to my home race in Berlin as the leading driver. My goal is obviously to end up as the first winner in the history of the voestalpine European Races..“

There was a major change to your team prior to the start of the season. Previously, the team sourced its drives as a customer of Renault, but now TECHEETAH has formed a works team with DS Automobiles who now supply the drive systems. What changes has this brought?

ANDRE LOTTERER: „Many! It makes a huge difference after having leased a Renault motor last season. The team has grown, and most importantly we now have the 15 manufacturer’s test days. The experience Jean-Éric Vergne and I have gained in motorsport has also helped. A huge part of preparing for Formula E is ensuring the mapping works, and that the car does precisely what you want it to. Plus we have more resources and can develop things faster. I’m convinced that having your own manufacturer in Formula E is absolutely the right way to go.“

You have vast experience, have won the Le Mans, were WEC World Champion, have raced in other series, and are also a title holder and star in Japan. How do you see the future of Formula E?

ANDRE LOTTERER: „It’s bright. Everyone drives the same car which makes the aerodynamics largely irrelevant. The result is a great show. That’s where it differs from other series. And there’ll be more innovations. I find the idea of fast charging the batteries very interesting. It’s also relevant for the automotive industry, but we just have to be careful that the battery costs don’t shoot up too much.“

 The BMW i Berlin E-Prix presented by CBMM Niobium, the fourth of the voestalpine European Races, starts on Saturday, May 25, 2019, at 13:00. ORF eins, Eurosport 1, and ARD will all be broadcasting live.

Letter from the Management Board and the Group Works Council on the European Elections

For many centuries of our global history Europe has played a dominant role. However, the rise of new political and economic competitors in the East and West over the past decades has increasingly called Europe’s role into question. There is no doubt that, here in today’s European Union, we are faced with the shared decision of whether to respond to this challenge, or to quietly back down from the outset.

If we wish to accept this challenge, it is high time to eliminate the various differences between us which have emerged in the recent past and close European ranks. In the end it all hinges on a single question: how can the political institutions, as well as industry, make Europe as a whole fit for the future over the long term, whilst at the same time taking into account national differences and special characteristics where justified, in order to develop a stable European identity amongst these conflicting priorities?

We need to approach this task openly, with the courage to embrace change, and—probably the hardest to achieve—by actively looking beyond each of our national boundaries. The goal must be to no longer regard ourselves as German, French, Swedish, Polish, Italian, or Austrian, but above all as European. However, at no point, now or in the future, does this require us to deny our histories, or our national characteristics. But in this show of strength between the old and new “global players” we must demonstrate determination and confidence, believe in a successful European future, and work consistently towards achieving this goal.

We benefit from a starting position which is stronger and more convincing than the other regions of the world: the average level of prosperity among European citizens is higher than in any other major economic region, peace and security are more stable, poverty levels are lower, and life expectancy higher.

But in the upcoming European elections we Europeans can, and must, make it clear that we support the European Union as our large and shared protective shield which is there to safeguard everything we currently view as “normal”, because now, more than ever, we need this shield as a signal of strength. Each individual country fighting for itself—even the “major players” such as Germany and France—is simply too small to stand up to the new challenges being posed by China or the USA.

And we shouldn’t forget one thing: in terms of economic standing, the EU as a whole remains on a par with these regions, and should therefore continue to be perceived as an equal partner on the global stage, especially considering the many high-tech industries and top research in a whole host of economic sectors here in Europe. As a result, and irrespective of the Silicon Valleys and Singapores of this world, the EU represents no less than a quarter of global economic output. It is up to us Europeans to ensure this remains the case.

During almost 75 years of peace, and despite all the problems and setbacks, in creating what is today’s European Union, Europe has grown together to an extent that its founding fathers could hardly have expected. As already noted, never before have Europe’s citizens had it as good economically as they do today, and never in its history has Europe enjoyed such a long period of peace. A Europe without borders, and with a shared currency in the euro, has become the new normal—perhaps a little too normal, because the fight to get this far has been hard.
However, the shared strengths and opportunities offered by Europe must be far more strongly anchored in the minds of its citizens than has been the case to date. The goal must be not only to create a common identity as a free, self-determined, and forward-looking society, but also to safeguard this society by positioning the EU as a globally competitive location for business.

Democratic Europe needs the broad-based support of its citizens if it is to develop a realistic and sustainable strategy for the future. This is something we must all work towards. It includes taking part in the European elections in particular, as a clear commitment to a common, peaceful, and humanitarian Europe.

Let’s vote on May 26, for a strong, common Europe, and against the doubters!

voestalpine
The Management Board           The Group Works Council

Behind the scenes at the Formula E race in Berlin this coming weekend (May 25, 2019), the competition between BMW, Audi (already racing), Mercedes (indirectly involved), and Porsche (in the test phase) will be palpable for the first time. It will be a high caliber match to determine the future of mobility and the role of the individual corporations in this race of the giants—here is an overview.

Audi: the pioneer from Ingolstadt

Audi

On May 15, it was precisely five years since the first Formula E race car was presented, as well as five years since the ABT team first introduced itself to the public. Right from the start the team featured drivers Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi, evidence of the impressive continuity in what is now known as the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler works team. Both drivers have taken part in all the Formula E races to date, always as team colleagues, and always competing for one and the same team. Last season they won the team championship, with di Grassi winning the driver rankings the year before. The team boss is also a legend: Allan McNish, a Scot and three-time winner of the 24-hour Le Mans. McNish, who lives in Monaco and is one of Alex Wurz’s closest friends, is extremely impressed by how the ABB FIA Formula E Championship has developed. It’s a championship in which customer teams also have a chance: Envision Virgin Racing, using an Audi powertrain, has been the only team this year to date in which both drivers have managed to win a race. And both Robin Frijns (part of the Audi driving team as a DTM test driver in his “other life”) and Sam Bird have a chance of winning the championship.

BMW: the motor manufacturer moving into the future

BMW i Andretti Motorsport

Starting this season, BMW is now officially competing in Formula E with its own works team. It was previously involved as the technical partner to the American Andretti team. And the team, now known as BMW i Andretti Motorsport, couldn’t have got off to a better start: Antonio Félix da Costa won the very first race of the series in Riyadh, immediately advancing to become the championship leader and favorite. However, the Portuguese driver’s season has been rather stop and go since then, with podium placings, crashes (with team colleague Sims in Marrakesh), and most recently a disqualification in Monaco (energy consumption too high). But he still has a chance of winning the championship. The second driver in the team is Alexander Sims, to date the season’s most unlucky competitor. He has been involved in more crashes than any other driver, almost all of them not his fault.

Mercedes: Toto Wolff’s next world championship project

HWA RACELAB

Formula One World Champion Mercedes started this season under a “pseudonym”: long-term partner HWA has been involved in Formula E since season 5, racing as HWA RACELAB. From season 6 onwards the team will compete as the Mercedes EQ Formula E team. Team boss Toto Wolff has, as you’d expect, plenty of respect for this completely new task. HWA RACELAB (lead by Ulrich Fritz) secured its first podium place in Rome, with Stoffel Vandoorne in the cockpit, but the Swabian team still trails in the team rankings. Although this will quickly change: the second driver is the reigning DTM champion, Englishman Gary Paffett.

Porsche: Le Mans legends are live wires

The Porsche Formula E-Bolide has already been presented to the public

Like its neighbor Mercedes, the team boss at Porsche will also be an Austrian: Fritz Enzinger, who led Porsche to three LMP1 World Championship titles and a series of Le Mans wins. One of the drivers in the long-distance team is a fixed starter for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship 2019/2020: Swiss driver Neel Jani. The first shakedown took place in Weissach in April, and now the test program is fully underway. In contrast to Mercedes, Porsche will be racing in the series under its own name from the start. “It’s a milestone for Formula E that both Porsche and Mercedes have both decided to join us,” says Alejandro Agag, the founder & CEO of the series. It is one of the reasons why experts assume that the series will be awarded official FIA world championship status in just a few years. It is still undecided who will be the second driver in the Porsche Formula E team. The position is highly coveted. Brendon Hartley has already completed one test.

More on voestalpine & Formula E: https://www.voestalpine.com/formele/en

Audi wins its home race again

In the exciting atmosphere at the former Tempelhof airport there was plenty for the German fans to celebrate. The fourth race, the BMW i Berlin E-Prix presented by CBMM niobium was a repeat of last year, with the race won by a driver from the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team: in 2018, the driver was Daniel Abt, but this year’s win went to Lucas di Grassi. This is the tenth win in the Brazilian’s Formula E career to date, the second this season, and the first in a voestalpine European Race. Di Grassi now lies in second place in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship rankings, allowing him to continue his sensational performance—to date the Audi pilot has finished in 3rd, 2nd, 1st, and 2nd place in the overall rankings, putting him in the top three in every championship season. The Brazilian, who also won the first race in the history of the championship, in Beijing in 2014, also secured the additional point for the fastest race lap. “It feels so good, we’ve worked so hard over the past races,” says an elated Di Grassi who is “overjoyed.” Di Grassi’s victory was the result of a strong overtaking maneuver, taking him past Sébastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) who had started in Julius Baer pole position and ended up finishing second. With Jean-Éric Vergne crossing the line in third place, in the end the drivers standing on the podium, set against an impressive background of thousands of fans, were all champions. Although this has been an extremely varied championship, it would appear that, in the end, it is once again the legends of this motorsport who have succeeded in drawing on the benefits of their experience.

Ten (!) drivers are still in the running to win the voestalpine European Races trophy

For many, Vergne was the most exciting driver in the race. Once again this Parisian and renowned motorsport duelist drove convincingly, with excellent overtaking maneuvers taking him from his 8th place starting position to cross the finishing line in third. It was just the placing he needed to take the lead in the voestalpine European Race rankings, stealing it away from his unfortunate DS TECHEETAH team mate André Lotterer who was forced to start in last place due to technical problems, and then had to finish early after a strong race. As a result, at the final in Bern ten (!) drivers are in with a chance of winning the trophy for the best performance in the voestalpine European Races:

• Vergne (one 1st place, one 3rd place)
• Lotterer (two 2nd places)
• Di Grassi, Evans, Frijns (each one 1st place)
• Rowland, Buemi (each one 2nd place) sowie
• Vandoorne, Abt and Massa (each one 3rd place).

The fact that ten different drivers managed to secure the 12 total podium placings over four races demonstrates the balanced nature of the series. The winner of the trophy will be decided in Bern on June 22. Perhaps di Grassi’s dream will come true: the Berlin winner said during the presentation back at the beginning of April that, if he could, he’d love “to take the trophy home immediately.” Perhaps it will be in his hand-luggage after Bern.

Podium comeback immediately before the home race

Sébastien Buemi is just slightly ahead of Di Grassi as the most successful driver in the history of this race series. Now the Swiss driver will be delighted with his pole position and second place in the race. Unbelievably, this is only his first (!) podium placing in season five and in a Gen2 car. At the same time, it was his 13th pole position, putting him far in the lead in the all-time winners list of starters. Behind him in these statistics come Vergne and Felix Rosenqvist, with 8 and 6 starts from the front respectively. This surge has come at just the right time for Buemi, before his home race in Bern. He recently drove there in a show event: “I think it’ll be a very exciting race on a spectacular circuit, and with lots of changes in altitude.”

A touch of Hollywood in Formula E

There was a (very) good reason why many of the leading players in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship only arrived in Berlin on Friday morning; on Thursday they were still at the film festival in Cannes, for the presentation of the documentary about last season (2017/18). The film was produced by Hollywood director Fisher Stevens and titled “And We Go Green.” Formula E Founder & CEO Alejandro Agag celebrated there with Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Brooklyn Beckham, Hana Cross, Adriana Lima, Pixie Lott, Oliver Cheshire, and Dua Lipa.

Commemorating Niki Lauda

Speaking of Hollywood: Niki Lauda, whose life was also the subject of a Hollywood film, was naturally in the thoughts of many of the drivers. Winner Lucas di Grassi reminded us that Lauda had been a huge inspiration for generations of drivers and Gary Paffett, once a team colleague of Lauda’s son Mathias, explained the impression Lauda’s personality had made on him. There was a minute’s silence for the Austrian legend before the race.

The final of the voestalpine European Races will take place in Bern, on June 22, 2019.

It was a successful few days for voestalpine at this year’s CWIEME, the “world’s largest event dedicated to coil winding, electric motors, transformers and generators”. This success was reflected in the many interesting meetings and discussions.

voestalpine premium products for serial production

Whether on the voestalpine stand for the Austrian Night, or to look at the Formula E race car used in the voestalpine European Races, employees from the voestalpine companies were sought-after partners for visitors wishing to talk about electrical steel, self-bonding coatings, and inline lamination stacks.

Premium products such as isovac®, backlack-v®, and compacore® can refer to successful references in serial production. Senior Researcher Dr. Ronald Fluch highlighted a technology focus in electric motor production in his well-received talk on “Backlack in a minute”.

At CWIEME the partnership between voestalpine and Formula E was hard to miss

Formula E driver Maximilian Günther offered a few insights into the motorsport series prior to the race in Berlin

Electromobility focus

With around 780 exhibitors at this year’s CWIEME in Berlin, once again the event focused on electromobility. Over 100 suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers made this megatrend the focus of their trade show appearance. The Steel Division and the Metal Forming Division (voestalpine Automotive Components) both demonstrated the leading role they play in shaping this development with their innovative products and featured expertise.

CWIEME was once again the right place to demonstrate this because, as the organizers announced, 90 percent of all automotive and electrical powertrain manufacturers were represented at the event in Berlin.

Further information:

• isovac® www.voestalpine.com/isovac
• compacore® www.voestalpine.com/compacore

Scheduled between CWIEME 2019 (coil winding trade fair) and the Formula E race in Berlin, part of the voestalpine European Races, it was logical that electrification would be an important topic at this year’s voestalpine synergy platform. Eighty participants from across all voestalpine divisions, including researchers, developers, sales experts, and strategists, joined external experts in Berlin on May 23 and 24.

Visit at the Formula E Race Track in Berlin – Our experts got interesting insights

Exchange between voestalpine and Formula E researchers

Climate crisis and electromobility

The title of this year’s synergy platform reflected the program: electrification. The spectrum of topics ranged from securing tomorrow’s electricity supplies through to the future of electromobility. For example, in his presentation Gerhard Christiner, CTO of Austrian Power Grid, indicated the complex challenges resulting from transformation of the energy system and transport of electricity generated from renewables right across Europe.
He was preceded by Stefan Rahmstorf from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research who highlighted the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He believes the orderly transition to a climate-friendly society is the only way of stopping further temperature increases.

Ideas at voestalpine

The contributions from the voestalpine companies on current developments in sustainable production and electromobility stimulated intensive discussions.

• Impact of electrification and decarbonization on the Donawitz site
• Producing hydrogen through electrolysis in the H2FUTURE project
• Modular battery cases
• High-bay warehousing for 2nd life use of vehicle batteries
• Intelligent compacore® lamination stacks
• Fixing systems for PV modules on land and at sea

Steel retains its role in mobility

The synergy platform offered an interesting overview from the viewpoint of the OEM and Tier 1 suppliers, from the materials used in (electric) vehicle production to the various drive options. Johannes Staeves, Head of Cluster Lightweight Body Construction at the BMW Group, focused on the continued intensive use of steel in car bodies.

Range of powertrains

In his presentation on powertrains, Thomas Pfund, Head of R&D Automotive Systems at automotive supplier Schaeffler, created an image of a future featuring a diverse range of powertrains for electric vehicles. He regards a mix of 30% battery and fuel cell drives, 40% hybrid engines, and 30% conventional combustion engines as realistic.
Jörg Wind, R&D Know-How Manager at Daimler AG, highlighted the potential offered by fuel-cell-powered vehicles. This drive option is also a commitment by the automotive group to electromobility. For its further development, Daimler AG puts great emphasis on continued expansion of hydrogen infrastructure, from its (sustainable) manufacture to the distribution network.

A duty to act

The opening presentation at the synergy platform made it clear to all those present that electromobility has an important role to play in climate protection.

CEO Wolfgang Eder closed the 13th voestalpine synergy platform

In his closing address, Wolfgang Eder stressed once more that the only way to develop voestalpine into a technology group was through efficient research and development, and innovations; the combination of materials expertise and processing technology are the key to success.

He was clearly confident that voestalpine would master the transformation to CO2-neutral steel production using breakthrough technologies.

Climate change, energy transfer, and electromobility—the voestalpine synergy platform 2019 examined a range of exciting topics.

Jörg Wind, R&D Know-How Manager at Daimler AG, presented innovations in fuel cell drives.

Guests in Berlin (from left): Johannes Staeves (BMW Group), Wolfgang Eder (CEO voestalpine AG), Thomas Pfund (Schaeffler), Gerhard Christiner (CTO Austrian Power Grid)

“The working day always starts early. It’s the best time to get the paperwork done, before the start of a typical sales day which is full of phone calls and meetings,” explains Mohammad Taregh

Zadmard, describing everyday life for an account manager at voestalpine Stahl GmbH. But actually he has two tasks to fulfil: as an account manager, he looks after his own customers, and as part of the operative sales team he’s responsible for well-known automotive manufacturers. Mohammad is used to this type of flexibility: in May 2018 he started spending half of his time in sales, before becoming fully sales-focused in July. And even when working in Product Management & Segment Marketing, his position prior to this move, he succeeded in completing his Master’s degree on a part-time basis.

Building customer relationships

However, the move to sales has always been his goal, ever since joining the company in 2016. “Although, of course, I wanted to become familiar with the position I was originally assigned, and it was also easier to combine with my part-time Master’s degree.” That would have been very difficult when working in sales, says Mohammad, because in sales flexibility is more important: “You have to be more flexible and agile than in marketing, because the priorities are different. When the customer needs something, then that comes before everything else. Marketing places a greater focus on research and studies, while in sales you trust more in people and their assessment of how things are developing.” You have to build up relationships, and that’s the exciting part.

Achieving goals

He sees the situation at voestalpine as very similar: “Because we’re such a large Group, you’re constantly meeting new people and learning about new areas,” explains Mohammad. “You talk a lot with colleagues and can draw on their experiences to learn something new every day. You never really stop learning.” He completed his Master’s degree in Global Sales & Marketing after receiving a merit-based scholarship, and now he is looking for new ways to develop his skill set further. He is even taking part in the voestalpine Sales Academy which offers a professional development program for employees: “You want to achieve something, both in, and for, the company. And the best thing is that the company really draws on its employees’ competencies, while at the same time you can communicate your own goals, and they’ll be taken into account.”

Lightweight construction in the electromobility sector demands complex approaches involving a combination of materials, technologies, and construction methods. The innovative developments at technology group voestalpine allow it to adopt such approaches and position itself as a reliable partner to the automotive construction industry, especially for electric vehicles.

Hot forming as the basis for lightweight construction

phs-directform plant in Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany)

At voestalpine innovative phs®-hot forming technologies go hand-in-hand with developments in ultra high-strength steels. They combine highly effective forming processes with increased component strength for reliable corrosion-protected vehicle components. This is hugely significant when it comes to the construction of safe battery cases, for example. phs-rollform® allows sections and tubes to be hardened precisely in the areas which will be subjected to particular stresses. The phs-ultraform®, phs-directform®, and phs-rollform® family of technologies have allowed voestalpine to establish itself as a premium supplier of complex vehicle components with outstanding performance properties.

With phs facilities in China, the USA, and Germany, voestalpine is excellently positioned in its key markets. Application of the technology continues to be expanded, and the 14th phs facility will soon be opened.

phs-rollform plant

Hollow construction and sections to minimize weight

At voestalpine Tubulars GmbH & Co KG, the advantages of high-strength materials are paired with weight-saving construction methods. The magic formula here is “hollow shafts.” Used in place of steel bars, hollow shafts offer at least the same degree of strength while simultaneously generating considerable weight and material savings: “By manufacturing the hollow shaft in high-strength steels we save around 15 to 18 percent of the weight,” explains Jürgen Klarner, Head of R&D at voestalpine Tubulars GmbH.

The geometrically highly-sophisticated sections manufactured by the forming specialists at voestalpine Krems GmbH are most commonly used for safety-relevant components in battery casings. The intelligent forming design allows the experts in Krems to ensure that their vehicle components offer excellent performance. Where roll forming is used to manufacture high strength steels, bars and contours are produced which form complex sections consisting of several chambers. This allows them to absorb large forces in the event of a crash.

Combining low weight with strength

Lightweight, composite construction in the automotive sector is a driving force in the development of mechanical joining technologies, particularly for efficiently joining different materials whilst working from only one side—when assembling battery cases, for example. As vehicle transport becomes increasingly electrified, it becomes more important that drive batteries are securely and efficiently installed.

For that reason, voestalpine Wire Technology GmbH is offering tailor-made material solutions for fixing elements. The company’s wire pre-materials are used to produce so-called flow hole screws: these screws drill their own holes, simultaneously forming their own thread and reliably connecting the components needing to be joined. This technology depends upon a high degree of materials expertise combined with constant or improved flowability in the manufacturing process. In future, the high-strength steels used in lightweight construction will be able to withstand pressures of up to 2,000 MPa. Furthermore, the connecting elements, such as screws and rivets used to fix battery cases to the car body, must demonstrate a high level of both fatigue strength and hydrogen resistance.

voestalpine in demand as supplier for e-vehicles

Effectively applying state-of-the-art technologies and continuing to build up expertise is a matter of course for voestalpine companies. It allows them to strengthen their positions within OEM supply chains worldwide.

For example, voestalpine Rotec GmbH & Co. KG ships the so-called guide boxes used in electric vehicle steering to the USA from its German site in Sülzfeld. The focus at the Annweiler site includes the high precision manufacture of components for air spring systems. Serial production of compressed air reservoirs for air spring systems on a premium class electric SUV is already underway for delivery to an English customer. Roll pistons, responsible for the spring behavior of an air sprung vehicle, are also used in Chinese electric vehicles, and the selection of this voestalpine site for follow-on projects is evidence of its outstanding technological expertise. Once again, voestalpine underscores its role as an electromobility supplier.

If Anna Rodriguez Chavez continues to combine her work with her part-time studies so purposefully, then her business card will soon need an extra line for all her academic titles: aged 30, born in Klagenfurt, and the daughter of Austrian and Peruvian university lecturers, the engineer and economist is a graduate engineer with an MBA in Business Law. She’s currently enrolled on a university program for Sales Management Excellence, and you can bet that it won’t be her last academic qualification.

“The main thing is, it’s voestalpine”

Her remarkable technical abilities became clear at a very young age. Her mother says, “She really challenged me in this area.” After leaving school where she focused on languages, Anna studied materials science at the Montanuniversität Leoben, completing internships at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, and the no less famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. Ever since her childhood days, she has wanted to work in industry like her great-grandfather, a miner and welder who served voestalpine all his life. Her grandfather, who trained as a lathe operator at Alpine in Donawitz, was extremely proud when, 60 years after starting his own apprenticeship, his granddaughter began her own career at voestalpine in 2016. Even if he can’t quite envisage what Anna—who started off as a project leader in developing alloy concepts and process parameter optimization—actually does, especially after her move to the High Mobility Pool, “The main thing is, it’s voestalpine.”

Here today, there tomorrow

Anna is very busy in the research & development department where she is not only gaining experience, but also enjoying learning more about voestalpine as a global group. In 2018, she was invited to join the voestalpine High Mobility Pool, the international personnel development program which, once every two years, takes six young academics and puts each of them on a total of 4 placements in different Group companies, each for a period of six months. For someone who is always looking for the next professional challenge as a form of personal development, this opportunity comes at just the right time: “With my technical and business background, I enjoy being able to find out more about voestalpine in a global context. At the moment I’m in Vienna with voestalpine High Performance Metals GmbH where I’m involved in a major transformation project.”

A luxurious nomadic life

This allows Anna to apply both her specialist expertise as well as her extensive language skills. In addition to her second mother tongue, Spanish, she speaks English—of course—as well as French, and some Russian. “High mobility,” the program’s motto, describes both her professional and private life: “I haven’t had a permanent home for one and a half years now, because the program demands that I constantly change location.” The fixed elements in her travels are the local cultural offerings—opera, concerts, and theater—which she attends wherever her work takes her. Plus the long-term relationship with her partner who is based in Germany: “We spend every free minute together at weekends. We enjoy being in the Tyrolean mountains, or traveling, whatever we have time for.”

Jean-Eric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH)

Like most of the Formula E drivers, the Frenchman is coming more or less directly from the 24-hour, long distance classic in Le Mans where many of the stars have been racing when not busy enthralling electric motorsport fans. Vergne, who retired while ahead of his group, has had little luck this year. But his chances in Formula E are looking good: “JEV” recently won in Monaco, making him the leader both in the Championship as a whole and in the voestalpine European Races rankings, just ahead of his friend and team colleague André Lotterer.

Current leader of the voestlapine European Races

Andre Lotterer (DS TECHEETAH)

otterer, a Le Mans legend (three overall wins, fourth place in 2019), has not yet won a race in Formula E. However, due to his consistent performances, the German is fully in the running when it comes to title chances, particularly considering that his team DS TECHEETAH is also ahead in the marque rankings and is currently the best racing team. Will this be the occasion where Lotterer steps out from his team mates shadow to claim victory?

Andre Lotterer led the voestalpine European Races after Monaco

Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schäffler)

It was as expected. Although hugely varied and full of surprises, the longer the season goes on, the more that experienced drivers such as Lucas di Grassi gain momentum. The Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver is feared for his late form, and he has just won the teams home race in Berlin that was so important for them.

Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing)

The Dutchman, who won his first race in Paris, is regarded as a particularly good duelist, as well as being courageous and daring. Team boss Sylvain Filippi has just confirmed that Frijns, together with Marrakesh winner Sam Bird, will also be driving for the team in Season 6 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Robin, who could take home the voestalpine European Races trophy if he wins in Bern, also drives in the DTM. But he says, “In terms of the driving, a Formula E car is harder to manage!”

Mitch Evans (Panasonic Jaguar Racing)

The young New Zealander has secured a place for himself many times over in the record books this year, including as the race first ever winner in the voestalpine European Races. His victory in Rome was simultaneously the first in his high-profile international race history with Jaguar which began in the early 1990s. For him the same applies: victory in Bern gives him a good chance of winning the trophy.

Oliver Rowland (Nissan e.dams)

The Brit, who was nominated as a fixed starter in the Nissan e.dams team only just before the season started, is one of the positive surprises of the season and, after three Julius Baer pole positions (best performance of the year), is certainly ready for his first win. His best result in the voestalpine European Races to date was coming in second in Monaco.

Sebastian Buemi (Nissan e.dams)

The Swiss driver couldn’t possibly be coming to the E-Prix on his home turf with a greater tailwind: he has just won the 24-hour Le Mans (for the second time in the series), and now he could pick up the trophy in his home town of Bern as the winner of the voestalpine European Races. Starting from pole in Berlin, the champion of the second season is in increasingly good form.

Stoffel Vandoorne (HWA RACELAB)

Thanks to his third place, the Belgian who drives for the HWA RACELAB team still has a slim chance of picking up the trophy. However, to date the priority of his (new) team has been to gain experience before Mercedes EQ take over the team entry for next season.

Daniel Abt (Audi Sport ABT Schäffler)

To date, third place in Paris was this season’s highlight for the German who has been part of the Formula E series since the very first race in its history.

Felipe Massa (VENTURI Formula E Team)

He was Formula One Vice-Champion in 2008, and, thanks to his third place, the Brazilian who drives for the Venturi team still has a minimal chance of taking home the coveted trophy. His contract has already been extended for next season.

The Julius Baer Swiss E-Prix, the fifth and last of the voestalpine European Races, starts on Saturday, June 22, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. The race will be broadcast on ORF eins, Eurosport 1, and ARD Livestream.

Introducing the 48V power supply gives rise to a “light” version of hybrid electric vehicles. These cars are known as Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles, or MHEV. They differ primarily from vehicles with conventional combustion engines in having an additional, highly-efficient electric motor which supplies strong assisting torque and functions as a generator to powerfully charge the 48V battery. And where electromobility demands efficiency, isovac® electrical steel from voestalpine is the answer.

Hybrid motor

Efficient electrical steel made by voestalpine

Using high efficiency motor and generator components in the vehicle’s 48V power supply is a natural choice, because the advantages offered by a higher voltage are paid for in the form of heavier components. Increasing efficiency allows their weight to be reduced. High torque, paired with minimal power loss when converting electricity into motion energy, can only be achieved using a motor core constructed from the best magnetically-soft material.

“isovac® allows us to produce the right electrical steel for all forms of electromobility,” emphasizes Christian Schreiner, Director of Sales Electrical Industry at voestalpine Stahl GmbH. With its optimized magnetic and mechanical properties, isovac® is a top product for the electromobility megatrend.

Electrical steel isovac® in an electric motor

Reduce emissions

In an MHEV the combustion engine and electric motor can be used in parallel, although pure electric driving tends to be uncommon. The electric motor/generator is usually integrated into the drive architecture via a transmission belt (e.g., Audi), or between the motor and transmission (e.g., Mercedes). The higher voltage permits the use of additional power units, such as the e-turbo.Most importantly, however, it forms the basis for key “economy functions,” such as start-stop, gliding, power-assisted steering, and air conditioning while the combustion engine is turned off. Recuperation also contributes by feeding in additional energy to recharge the battery in the 48V network; this is electricity available to the driver which does not otherwise need to be generated by the driving motor. Converting to a 48V onboard power supply should bring reductions in fuel consumption of up to twelve percent.

Important 48V terms:

• Start-stop function
  Turning off and almost immediate restarting of the combustion engine, e.g., at traffic lights.
• Gliding function
  Automatic turning off and restarting of the combustion engine when driving downhill; the vehicle power supply ensures that the power-assisted steering and brake servo continue to function while gliding.
• Stationary air conditioning
  Air conditioning system operates even when vehicle is at a standstill and the combustion engine has been turned off.
• E-turbo
  Electric compressor which, for example, closes the “turbo gap” when the combustion engine is running at low engine speeds in order to increase engine output efficiency.
• Recuperation
  Recovery of electrical energy released by the braking process which is then fed to the vehicle batteries.

More information: www.voestlapine.com/isovac

Mr. Buemi, you’ve got a new site in Bern for your home race and are already familiar with the circuit having completed a show run there. So what can we expect to see?

SÉBASTIEN BUEMI: “It’s always difficult to explain a new circuit to someone who hasn’t yet seen it in the simulator. It looks good, it’s a real challenge, and the circuit has everything you can hope for in a city. It runs along walls, goes uphill, downhill, and up again. There are some very varied passages, and a few sections have some very special features. It’s a great home race for Edoardo Mortara and myself.”

As a Formula One driver for many years and still a member of the Red Bull Racing test team, you’re certainly qualified to explain the difference between Formula E and the Grand Prix of motorsport.

SÉBASTIEN BUEMI: “Well, this year fans will probably have more fun watching Formula E. The advantage here is that the rankings are just so, so close. You never know who’s going to win. In Formula One it’s Mercedes, or perhaps Ferrari. Plus maybe Red Bull, but that’s already the maximum number of possible outcomes. I like that Formula E is different, so that even in the morning no one knows who’ll be on the podium at the end of the day.”

Or who’ll come out top in the voestalpine European Race races?

SÉBASTIEN BUEMI: “This well-balanced field of competitors is great, and makes the series what it is, even if a couple of drivers do manage to pull ahead of the rest towards the end of the championship.”

What makes Formula E fun?

SÉBASTIEN BUEMI: “Without doubt, it’s everyone being so evenly matched. The competition is truly intense. The fun lies in knowing that if I drive a really good lap I get right ahead, but when I make a mistake I fall straight back. So it’s primarily the drivers that make the difference.”

As someone who’s been part of Formula E from the very first race, you’re more qualified than anyone else to answer this question: how has the driving changed since then?

SÉBASTIEN BUEMI: “The car isn’t very different from last year. You’ve got more power. You’ve got roughly the same downforce. And you don’t notice a huge difference when driving. Brake-by-wire makes everything a bit easier. You can recuperate more power and, in terms of energy management, the car is more efficient. The battery supplies much more power. The teams have improved hugely overall, and that means we have to consider the fine details if we want to get ahead of our competitors.”

And the series?

SÉBASTIEN BUEMI: “I’m happy with the championship. I think it’s good when everyone’s so evenly matched. Plus more of the manufacturers are taking part. But I think it’s important not to loosen the rules too much, because then you’d see far greater differences between the teams. In the end, I think it should remain a drivers’ championship, and not just be about the best technologies. We need to find a good compromise between the two. But Formula E and the FIA have done a great job together.”

The Juilus Baer Swiss E-Prix, the final of this season’s voestalpine European Races, starts on Saturday, June 22, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. ORF eins, ARD Livestream, and Eurosport 1 will all be broadcasting live.

Victories in Monaco and Bern, and third place in Berlin, secured this trophy honoring excellent performance for the DS TECHEETAH team driver. The tension was electrifying right down to the last meter, with Vergne winning just 16 hundredths of a second ahead of Mitch Evans of Panasonic Jaguar Racing who, according to Vergne, was “definitely the faster of us” during the end of the race. But even with his wild attacking manoeuvre, Evans was unable to get past the old hand who wasn’t about to risk everything with the rain setting in. And so it was Vergne who was able to proudly hold the exceptional trophy aloft on Sunday morning as he took off in his jet from Zürich airport. He now has every chance to become the first driver to successfully defend an ABB FIA Formula E Championship title: he leads by 32 points with just the two final races in New York to go this season. A maximum of 58 points are up for grabs in these two races—assuming one driver wins both races, starts in Julius Baer pole position on both Saturday and Sunday, and also get points for marking the fastest lap in each race.

Jean-Éric Vergne in his own words as he reflects on his success in Bern:

Vergne on the tight duel for victory…

…and on congratulations on winning the voestalpine trophy, as well as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship title as he already has a 32 point lead going into the last 2 races of the season.

For information about the voestalpine European Races: https://www.voestalpine.com/formele/en

Mr. Eder, how difficult is the process of letting go after 41 years?

Eder: I find it amazingly undramatic—and that surprises even me a bit. You simply have to realize that after 41 years in the company, it is time to hand over the reins. To younger people who have new ideas and better ideas. I have no regrets as I leave. I leave with a sense of peace and even happiness. Because I know I am leaving the company in good hands. Herbert Eibensteiner and the Management Board team are colleagues and friends in whom I have great confidence—and they have 52,000 committed employees behind them.

Mr. Eibensteiner, you will take over the reins from Mr. Eder. How do you feel—a mixture of joy, pride and perhaps humility?

Eibensteiner: The joy and fun of the task clearly predominate. I am looking forward to being able to continue to develop the Group with its solid foundation and to working together with all colleagues to implement the path we have taken.

Where we are successful, we will do everything we can to become even better and grow further. We will continue with internationalization. We are ambitiously working on new, innovative products and pushing ahead with digitalization. We have challenging plans that we will now implement step by step.

Which brings us to our employees. Everyone agrees that the quality of our employees is the Group’s greatest asset. However, everyone is struggling with the shortage of apprentices and skilled workers and the lack of quality training. Is the company running out of qualified employees?

Eibensteiner: No. The war of talents has been going on for a long time. That’s nothing new. voestalpine has a perfect training system and offers training for 35 different vocations. We are committed to training young people and will continue to increase apprenticeship training. We will focus on ensuring that our training and education program makes up for the shortcomings of school education, for example in the area of digitalization. We are also expanding our management training and education program. This provides us with incentives that attract talented people to voestalpine and allows us to master the challenges of the future by constantly increasing expertise within our own company.

Eder: The most important prerequisite for finding qualified employees is the long-term success of the company. An enduringly successful, internationally recognized company can more easily find the right employees, even—and especially—in difficult times. Success also makes a company attractive.

Mr. Eder, despite all the appeals you have made about education policy, the company still has to do a lot for training. Did no one listen to you?

Eder: Not enough at any rate, and we are now talking about 20 lost years in which education policy primarily consisted of living out ideological fantasies. The subject has never been fully dealt with. First, we need to clarify which values we want to convey and then look at the topics of the future. This must be the basis for training in order to prepare young people for the future. The current Education Minister seems to be going down a more consistent path than his predecessors and sensibly taking one step after the other.

Mr. Eibensteiner, the employees who come to voestalpine have completely different, new ideas about working life: more leisure time, flexible working hours, home office, work-life balance. Does an attractive employer have to offer all this in order to get good employees?

Eibensteiner: I think so. Here in Austria and in many other countries, we use the entire range of working time models to attract the interest of young people, to allow older employees to work longer and stay healthy, to enable women to ideally combine raising children and pursuing a career. It is about the best way of combining work and private life. I’m sure this is the way to go.

The measure of a good employer is this wide range of offers. What will be the measure of good, desirable employees?

Eibensteiner: Performance. When work-life balance is important to employees, it does not mean that they are unwilling or unable to perform. Quite the opposite.

Eder: The message to the outside world is important to us: the company will support future, even more flexible working time models. Working time legislation, however, sets limits—very narrow limits compared to the individual wishes of many employees.

The economy is slowing down and the forecasts for 2019 are not looking so good. Mr. Eibensteiner, will your first task as CEO have to be to activate the crisis mode?

Eibensteiner: In the case of both tailwinds and headwinds, management’s job is to deliver the best performance and quickly adapt to new situations. We are very good at this, even though we are a large corporation.

voestalpine as a supplier as well as many others are banking on the electric car. What makes you sure this is really the future?

Eibensteiner: We see electromobility as a clear opportunity. There is the political will on the one hand and our customers’ requirements on the other. We are in constant contact with our customers’ development departments and will help ensure that our customers continue to be supplied with highly innovative products. Our high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, for example, guarantee the best crashworthiness and make weight-saving construction methods possible.

Chairman of the Supervisory Board Lemppenau said that the time that is coming will not be easy—there will be a lot of massive changes. What changes is he talking about?

Eibensteiner: For example, steel production must prepare for a technology change in the next ten years so that we can support the CO2 requirements in the EU’s climate targets. There is still no groundbreaking, economically viable technology. We are therefore investing in advance in medium-term and long-term research projects such as the hydrogen project H2FUTURE and the SuSteel project where we are researching low-carbon steel production. However, the basic prerequisite for all activities is that enough renewable energy be available to consumers at competitive prices. Overcoming this challenge requires entrepreneurial input and above all courageous and landmark political decisions. Trade relations have also changed dramatically in recent years—between the EU and the US, between the US and China. We have to adapt and orient ourselves to these challenges.

Eder: Besides the critical aspects of the future, I also see positive aspects. Beyond e-mobility, digitalization represents a great opportunity. There are new areas, such as additive manufacturing, where other future worlds are opening up that we can probably take advantage of better than others can.

Eibensteiner: As you have certainly noticed, we are quite optimistic about the future and focus on the opportunities it holds. Whatever happens, the markets will remain interesting for us. The world has not become smaller. It offers many new possibilities.

So it’s about being permanently ahead of developments?

Eibensteiner: Exactly, and that is also the company’s clear strategy.

The transformation from a steel producer to a technology group was practically a cultural revolution. What will be, will have to be, the next quantum leap?

Eibensteiner: It was certainly a big step to develop from a pure steel producer into a technology group. There are other areas where we want to become even more involved in technology. The digital railway, for example, is a major topic for us. We also want to develop further in the aircraft sector. Additive manufacturing is still in its infancy. We want to develop evolutionarily and faster.

So the products need to become even smarter?

Eibensteiner: Yes, smarter and more connected. In the future, digitalization will be another USP for us—in production, in processes, and in service.

Mr. Eibensteiner, you have already addressed the issue of climate protection and hydrogen. voestalpine is an environmental role model, but still a very large emitter. How can this problem be solved?

Eibensteiner: As already mentioned, the decisive technology for steel production without carbon emissions does not yet exist. But we’re working very hard on it. However, we need the right framework conditions to be able to manage the transition phase. We need time to research, develop and then industrialize the technologies.

Mr. Eder, you once said that the day when voestalpine was 100% privatized on August 31, 2005, was the best day in your 41 years at voestalpine. Is that still true?

Eder: Yes! Absolutely.

There was no better day?

Eder: No. I will never forget this August 31, which is and remains the best day in my career. Today, nobody can imagine what it is like to be under the permanent supervision of a political owner. But there were a few days that were almost as good. Like the weeks of the IPO in 1995, which I wouldn’t want to have missed. And the two weeks spent making the decision to acquire Böhler-Uddeholm in 2007 were extremely exciting. The Lehman time starting in 2008 was an experience. Back then, I couldn’t imagine the outcome being as positive as it was in the end. I’m talking about how a success-spoiled organization like we were suddenly switched to the toughest crisis mode—including the works council and all employees. How we mastered that situation made me very happy and made me truly respect the joint effort on the part of everyone. It sounds almost a bit perverse and is not something I would wish for, but it will probably help us if times become difficult, because our company has always proven that we respond faster and more effectively than our competitors do in such situations.

Mr. Eibensteiner, the closing words are yours. Do you have a message for the employees as you take over the reins?

Eibensteiner: For the dynamic times ahead, I wish all employees adaptability, flexibility and an insatiable will to succeed. It is precisely this winning mentality that distinguishes us, especially in difficult times. For me, adaptability and a winning mentality are the decisive factors.

And how do you want to be measured?

Eibensteiner: CEOs are usually measured by their success.

Technically, the drive batteries in electric cars are accumulators, but the term “battery” has now become widely accepted. For that reason, the most recent, typical electromobility component is a battery housing. Depending on the vehicle type, it can be the largest component in a car; equally large are the demands made of this component and its production. It was many years ago that voestalpine Automotive Components Schwäbisch Gmünd GmbH began the process of tackling these challenges.

voestalpine experience with battery housings

At this Swabian voestalpine site the era of producing components for electric cars began with a battery housing cover. After producing the first sample two years back, serial production started a few weeks ago. Key Account Manager Wilhelm Druckenmüller describes the long-term, close development cooperation between the voestalpine company and the customer as an important milestone in establishing the company as a future supplier for electric vehicles.

Challenging production details for electric cars

The production of these new vehicle components is a design and manufacturing challenge for voestalpine Automotive Components Schwäbisch Gmünd GmbH. The ability to reliably execute the three drawing steps required to shape the component, plus two subsequent cutting operations for various cooling and other connections, are as vital as the final product’s ability to prevent any leaks.

The size of half a table tennis table: a cover for the battery housing in an electric SUV produced by a German premium manufacturer—here the project design.