UL, a leading global safety science organization, is establishing a large-scale electric vehicle (EV) battery laboratory to support the growing EV market.

To be fully operational by April 2020 and located in Changzhou, China, the facility will be one of the most advanced in the world and provide 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 will increase substantially as manufacturers seek a knowledgeable and trusted third-party lab to improve battery and charging performance and safety.

Addressing these demands, the laboratory will help 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 will focus on battery safety, charging systems, grid integration and provide EV and power battery manufacturers with reliability verification, functional safety of battery management system, 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 announcement about UL’s EV battery laboratory was made during a groundbreaking ceremony held at the facility's future site. Hosted by UL's Keith Williams, president and CEO, Weifang Zhou, president, Connected Technologies, UL, and Boris Feng, vice president and greater China managing director, UL, the groundbreaking ceremony was attended by top public and private sector leaders, including automotive and EV battery manufacturer executives.

UL says that its 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.