The University of Michigan will move forward with plans to construct a new electric vehicle battery laboratory, broadening research and hands-on education in next-generation battery technologies on the Ann Arbor campus. The Board of Regents approved the $60 million project at its meeting in February. Funding will be provided from the state of Michigan contract that established the Electric Vehicle Center in 2023.

The 25,000-square-foot addition to the U-M Transportation Research Institute building on North Campus will include three battery laboratories, auxiliary support areas, a substation and a facility for battery cell testing, among other capabilities. The project also includes minor renovations within UMTRI and a new on-site fire hydrant to enhance safety.

The architectural firm of SmithGroup will design the project. The construction schedule and schematic design will be brought before the regents for approval at a later date.

The new battery lab will expand on research capacity and opportunity at existing and soon-to-open facilities at Michigan Engineering. The current U-M Battery Lab—the first university-based facility of its kind when it opened in 2015—supports academic and industry researchers from around the globe.

In April, as a stepping stone to the eventual UMTRI addition, the EV Center will open an 8,000-square-foot, off-campus space that nearly doubles the lab’s size.

That location will house a new pilot line where users can manufacture battery cells at small scales for testing, and an industry-leading automated laser welding system that allows users to assemble and then test battery modules and battery packs composed of those cells.