November 19, 2020
Northbrook, Ill. Nov. 19, 2020 – UL, a leading global safety science organization, announced that it has opened a large-scale electric vehicle (EV) battery laboratory to support the growing EV market. Located in Changzhou, China, the facility is one of the most advanced in the world and provides comprehensive EV battery testing and advisory services for EV automotive and battery manufacturers as well as top suppliers.
With continued growth in the EV sector, demand for electric vehicle battery and charging testing has increased substantially as manufacturers seek a knowledgeable and trusted third-party laboratory to test their improved battery and charging performance and safety.
Addressing these demands, the laboratory helps manufacturers and suppliers better manage battery safety risks and quality, and improve battery performance and functional safety while providing UL’s deep industry know-how in energy, safety and cybersecurity.
Tests focus on battery safety, charging systems, grid integration and provide EV and power battery manufacturers with reliability verification, functional safety of battery management systems, as well as V2G charging, power grid integration, repurposing batteries, energy storage system and functional safety services—all within a single lab. Combined, this will empower UL customers with shorter development cycles, a faster time-to-market with ability to be more competitive in the global marketplace and the opportunity to continue to grow and thrive.
The grand opening ceremony was held at the facility’s Changzhou site, located within the Wujin High-Tech Industrial Zone, a hub for electric vehicle, EV battery and related technologies manufacturing. Hosted by Boris Feng, vice president and general manager of UL in China, the event included remarks from Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO, UL, Inc., and Weifang Zhou, president of UL’s Connected Technologies business unit. Those in attendance included representatives from automotive, battery and charging infrastructure manufacturers as well as public sector leaders, including Liang Yibo, vice mayor of Changzhou, and Shi Xuyong, deputy director of the management committee of Wujin High-Tech Industrial Zone.
“We are honored to be a part of the EV innovation ecosystem and support its growth through one of the most advanced EV laboratories in the world, providing comprehensive electric vehicle battery testing and technical services for electric vehicle, top suppliers and battery manufacturers,” said Scanlon. “The development of our EV battery laboratory demonstrates our long-term commitment to empower the safe development of clean, zero-emission transportation. For more than 125 years, we have continued to apply science and objective authority to solve critical challenges by helping develop and market safer products and innovations. Our new EV battery laboratory allows us to harness this approach and equips us to better help customers fast-track their project fulfillment—allowing them ultimately to quickly grow and thrive.”
With more than a century of expertise in standards development and product safety testing and certification, UL’s EV battery laboratory will further expand UL’s testing capabilities and strategic scope within the EV industry, and also demonstrates UL’s commitment and vision to the EV market to provide professional and holistic service solutions for EV manufacturers.
“UL’s commitment to the EV market and demonstration of strong growth have been key in UL’s strategic decision to make a substantial investment in Changzhou and to further solidify our commitment to the China market,” said Zhou. “For four decades, UL has been at the forefront of EV battery research, testing and evaluation – expertise extremely valuable to customers here in China looking to export batteries to Europe and the U.S. With our proven ability to support the development of safe innovative technology, coupled with a global footprint, we’re excited to bring real value to the EV industry and help deliver what matters to the China market – safety, performance, security, sustainability and confidence.”
About UL
UL helps create a better world by applying science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. We empower trust by enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. All of our work, from independent research and standards development, to testing and certification, to providing analytical and digital solutions, helps improve global well-being. Businesses, industries, governments, regulatory authorities and the public put their trust in us so they can make smarter decisions. To learn more, visit UL.com
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UL
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