UL Solutions has announced plans to open a new battery testing laboratory in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in mid-2024. The laboratory will feature state-of-the-art equipment and offer testing capabilities at the battery cell, module, and full-pack level for thermal propagation, fire testing, design verification, and product validation, as well as electrical, mechanical, abuse, and environmental testing based on various UL and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, United Nations (UN) goals and initiatives, and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and OEM specifications.
The new facility will be located in the Auburn Hills Oakland Technology Park complex, near Detroit, the world’s automotive capital. UL Solutions’ expert battery engineers and laboratory staff will test electric vehicle (EV) and industrial battery products for compliance with safety and performance requirements for the United States (U.S.) and global markets.
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“The global surge in electrification, especially in mobility, has elevated the focus on the safety of batteries,” said Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO, UL Solutions. “UL Solutions’ investment in Michigan is the next step in our broader Midwest and global strategy to establish hubs in critical automotive markets that support the EV eco-system in the safe, secure, and sustainable commercialization of related technologies.”
The move comes as consumers’ preference for EV technology continues to grow, with the 2022 EY Mobility Consumer Index revealing that more than half of those surveyed, 52%, intend to buy a fully electric, plug-in hybrid, or hybrid vehicle. The U.S. Department of Energy projects that electric vehicle battery manufacturing capacity in North America in 2030 will be nearly 20 times greater than in 2021 to meet the growing demand.
Many battery production facilities will be co-located with automotive assembly plants, with Michigan seeing the highest growth. UL Solutions’ investment in Michigan demonstrates its commitment to operating at the forefront of the industry and applying the company’s safety science expertise to enable technology innovation and speed to market.
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“Our services contribute to shorter development cycles and a faster time-to-market, which are critical to competitive positioning in the global marketplace,” said Milan Dotlich, vice president and general manager of the Energy and Industrial Automation group at UL Solutions.
“We are thrilled to welcome this talented team of safety science experts to Auburn Hills and look forward to working with them on their continued success well into the future,” said Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin R. McDaniel.
