UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, has officially opened its North America Advanced Battery Laboratory in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This state-of-the-art facility is one of the largest and most comprehensive testing laboratories for electric and hybrid vehicle batteries in the United States.
Marking the company’s largest-ever investment in a single laboratory, this new facility underscores UL Solutions’ commitment to enhancing the safety and reliability of energy storage products. The lab is part of a broader expansion of UL Solutions’ global network, which is dedicated to advancing battery technologies. With the global shift towards electrification and clean energy, UL Solutions is strategically focused on supporting industries, particularly the automotive sector, that are impacted by these trends.
“The electrification of everything hinges on battery innovation, which affects multiple industries and underscores the need for safety and performance throughout the energy transition,” said Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions. “Our North America Advanced Battery Laboratory exemplifies our dedication to facilitating the safer commercialization of new battery technologies, which are crucial to the global energy transition.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer praised the new laboratory as a milestone in the state’s leadership in mobility and electrification. “The opening of UL Solutions’ North America Advanced Battery Laboratory in Michigan highlights our state’s growing influence in the future of mobility and electrification,” she said. “This cutting-edge facility in Auburn Hills allows us to test the technologies needed for electric vehicles close to the manufacturing plants where batteries, cars, and trucks are being produced by hardworking Michiganders. Our robust advanced manufacturing ecosystem positions us as a national leader in this space. Together with partners like UL Solutions, we can build a brighter future for Michigan’s industry, creating and supporting thousands of well-paying jobs.”
Located in the Auburn Hills Oakland Technology Park complex near Detroit, the world’s automotive hub, the new facility is equipped with advanced battery testing equipment. This allows UL Solutions to offer comprehensive safety and performance testing for automotive and industrial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers.
Staffed by UL Solutions experts, the North America Advanced Battery Laboratory conducts a wide range of safety and performance tests. The facility’s testing portfolio is among the most extensive in the industry, covering thermal fire propagation, 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.
This new laboratory adds to UL Solutions’ global network of testing facilities focused on battery technology, including:
- Electric Vehicle Battery Fire Testing Laboratory in Northbrook, Illinois
- EV Charging Test Laboratories in Fremont, California; Northbrook, Illinois; and Frankfurt, Germany
- UL Solutions E-Mobility and Energy Laboratory in Changzhou, China
- EV Battery Laboratory in Pyeongtaek, South Korea
- CHAdeMO EV–Quick Charger Matching Center in Ise, Mie, Japan
- EV and Micromobility Laboratory in Luzhu, Taiwan
- BatterieIngenieure by UL Solutions Battery Testing Laboratory in Aachen, Germany
- CERE by UL Solutions Energy Resource Laboratory in Madrid, Spain
