The University of Michigan has announced plans to construct a new electric vehicle battery research laboratory, aiming to advance next-generation battery technologies and expand hands-on education. The facility will be located on the university’s Ann Arbor campus.
The lab will be housed in a 25,000-square-foot expansion of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute building on North Campus. It will feature three battery laboratories, a substation, a battery cell testing facility, and various auxiliary support areas, the university said.
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In addition, the university’s EV Center will open an 8,000-square-foot off-campus site in April, nearly doubling the center’s current space. The new addition will include a pilot line for manufacturing battery cells on a small scale, as well as an automated laser welding system for assembling and testing battery modules and packs. The EV Center itself was launched in late 2023.
The project, which has received approval from the university’s Board of Regents in February, is expected to cost $60 million, with funding provided by the state of Michigan.
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“This new facility will accelerate innovation, strengthen our partnerships with industry and help develop the highly skilled workforce needed to drive the future of electric mobility,” said Professor Alan Taub, director of the EV Center and Robert H. Lurie Professor of Engineering.