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EV Battery Abuse, Fire, Thermal and Performance Testing and Validation Services

Demonstrate performance and reliability to differentiate your products in a competitive market.

Dashboard showing EV charging status

As emissions mandates, government incentives, shifting economics and other factors drive the widespread transition to renewable energy and fuel the electric vehicle (EV) market’s continued growth, critical to success in this highly competitive market is the EV battery. In this transformative era, EV original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and EV battery manufacturers’ success hinges on their ability to balance the speed of launching innovative products to market with achieving and validating performance criteria and demonstrating product compliance in dynamic supply chains.

Battery testing helps demonstrate performance and reliability and differentiates products in the marketplace. EV batteries must also meet regulatory, industry and manufacturer requirements and standards.      

UL Solutions offers a comprehensive range of EV battery testing services, including abuse and fire exposure/thermal propagation and performance testing services at the cell, module and pack levels. We leverage these services to help EV OEMs, battery manufacturers and suppliers differentiate their batteries from competitors and boost end consumers’ confidence in the value of their products.

Our safety science, compliance expertise and innovative testing laboratories can help you efficiently and confidently navigate rapidly evolving requirements to bring energy technology products to market. By partnering with us, you can validate your EV batteries’ critical safety, reliability and performance characteristics and test against key regulations, standards and requirements — all with one testing services provider.

Our EV battery testing services include:

  • Fire exposure and thermal propagation testing
  • Damp heat testing
  • Splash water testing
  • Immersion thermal shock testing (IPX7)
  • Stone impact testing 
  • High-temperature operation endurance (HTOE) life cycle testing
  • Crush and nail penetration testing

Abuse testing services for the EV battery cell, module and pack

Our EV battery abuse testing at the battery cell, module and pack levels covers a wide range of scenarios, including:

  • Overcharging
  • Overdischarging
  • Thermal runaway
  • Puncture
  • Impact

We use industry-leading equipment and techniques to simulate these conditions and test the performance of your batteries under stress.

Our testing equipment includes:

  • Shakers that can hold up to 3,000 kg   
  • Battery cyclers with capability of up to 1,500 V/500 kW  
  • Environmental chambers, including specialized chambers for the shaker tables — 2.3 m × 2.2 m × 3.1 m  
  • Fire test cells with thermal cameras, reinforced walls and explosion-rated blowout panels  
  • High-altitude simulation chambers

Thermal propagation and fire exposure testing services

Our team of experts uses modern equipment and technology to conduct thermal propagation and fire exposure testing and analysis. We deliver detailed test reports to help inform your decisions regarding:

  • First responder strategy and tactics
  • Vehicle installation and design validation
  • Fire protection (integral or external) effectiveness
  • Forensic analysis

We take an incremental approach to thermal propagation and fire exposure testing, from cell to pack level, to determine the minimum testing needed to prove product acceptance:

Level Activities
Cell Develop cell thermal runaway initiation technique and characteristics, including gas composition.
Module Determine propagation behavior within the module and thermal energy release outside of the module.
Pack Open test configuration of module-to-module fire spread to determine the effectiveness of the anti-propagation barrier and insulating materials. Identify heat release rate and gas analysis to determine the potential for explosion.
Fire exposure Controlled test configuration to determine the ability to prevent an explosion as a result of exposure to a simulated fuel or vehicle fire external to the electrical energy storage.

Performance testing services for EV battery cell, module and pack

At UL Solutions, we understand the critical role that battery performance plays in the success of EVs, and we are committed to delivering high-quality testing services to support you in demonstrating the performance of your products. Our testing services cover a wide range of parameters, including capacity, power output, efficiency and temperature stability. Our team can also support your design verification and product validation (DV/PV) needs with tailored DV/PV services, which include functional and performance testing.

Advantages of choosing UL Solutions for EV battery safety and performance testing

Independent third-party testing partner with global presence

UL Solutions experts provide high-quality, efficient, local service to customers around the world. Our facilities are located near major vehicle manufacturing epicenters in the U.S. (Detroit, Michigan), Germany, China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to offer dedicated third-party support close to your business.

Expanding network of laboratories

UL Solutions leverages cutting-edge equipment, technology and methodologies to offer robust EV battery testing services at our advanced testing laboratories near the world’s major EV manufacturing hubs.

Proven commitment to safety science and sustainability

The energy transition has spurred EV manufacturers and suppliers to seek a knowledgeable and trusted third party to test for compliance with performance and safety requirements. UL Solutions’ continual investment in our network of EV battery services, capabilities and laboratories demonstrates our commitment to operating at the forefront of the industry and applying our safety science expertise to enable innovation and speed to market during the global transition to renewable energy.

Long-standing experience in fire and electrical safety, battery and energy storage

With more than a hundred years of expertise in fire and electrical safety and over 30 years of experience in battery and energy storage system safety, UL Solutions has a deep heritage of helping innovators in these spaces demonstrate and communicate the safety, quality and performance of their products.

Benefits of working with a single-source provider for EV battery testing and certification

UL Solutions offers comprehensive testing services at the battery cell, module, pack and unit levels to validate performance, reliability, safety and other key characteristics that help differentiate your products. We leverage our end-to-end services to support EV and EV battery manufacturers and suppliers throughout the entire product life cycle, from development to reuse. We can test against all applicable regulatory and standard requirements and offer customized services to meet your particular needs. When manufacturers and suppliers choose UL Solutions as their trusted partner for EV battery services, they enjoy consistent service and clear communication from the same dedicated team throughout the entire project. 

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