UL Solutions opens North America advanced EV charging laboratory

UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, has officially opened its North America Advanced Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Laboratory in Northbrook, Illinois.
May 8, 2023 Read time: 2 mins
At the official opening of UL Solutions North America Advanced EV Charging Laboratory (from left to right): Yasmeen Bankole, outreach director, Office of US Senator Richard Durbin, Jake Kaplan, district director, Office of US Congressman Bradley Schneider, Peter Danos, suburban community outreach and grants coordinator, Office of US Senator Tammy Duckworth, Milan Dotlich, VP and GM, UL Solutions, Kathy Seegebrecht, regional VP, UL Solutions and Jeffrey Smidt, SVP, UL Solutions.
At the official opening of UL Solutions North America Advanced EV Charging Laboratory (from left to right): Yasmeen Bankole, outreach director, Office of US Senator Richard Durbin, Jake Kaplan, district director, Office of US Congressman Bradley Schneider, Peter Danos, suburban community outreach and grants coordinator, Office of US Senator Tammy Duckworth, Milan Dotlich, VP and GM, UL Solutions, Kathy Seegebrecht, regional VP, UL Solutions and Jeffrey Smidt, SVP, UL Solutions.

The facility will help enable EV charging original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers to have shorter development cycles, faster time-to-market and the ability to be more competitive in the global marketplace.

Adjacent to UL Solutions' global headquarters, the facility has capabilities for Level 1 and Level 2 alternating current (AC) EV chargers, direct current (DC) fast chargers and grid connectivity testing for vehicle-to-grid and distributed energy resources. It also features vehicle simulation equipment and a chamber to test EV chargers in various environmental conditions.

"The automotive industry is transforming. The global transition to EVs continues to fuel the need for safe, secure and sustainable new technologies for the future of mobility," said Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO, UL Solutions. "The opening of this UL Solutions' EV charging laboratory in Northbrook is an important milestone in our global footprint strategy to support the industry in critical automotive markets – from Illinois to the wider Midwest, and from the United States to related markets globally."

At the new facility, UL Solutions will offer testing services for AC and DC EV chargers for passenger and light commercial vehicles, vehicle-to-grid connectivity and personnel protection equipment against a full range of relevant standards.

UL Solutions' North America Advanced Electric Vehicle Charging Laboratory is the company's latest step to enhance its testing capabilities to support automotive, EV charging and battery manufacturers in the safe, secure and sustainable commercialisation of related technologies.

UL Solutions recently established an EV charging laboratory in Fremont, California, bringing local testing capabilities to EV manufacturers on the West Coast. The company also announced plans to open a battery testing laboratory in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in mid-2024. When completed, the facility in Auburn Hills will be one of the most extensive battery testing and engineering laboratories in North America.