Charging infrastructure giant ABB has established a new E-mobility Innovation Lab. The $10-million, 3,600-square-meter facility is based on the Delft University of Technology campus, in the Netherlands. It will house 120 specialists, who will work on next-generation solutions to drive ABB’s future e-mobility development.

ABB strives to ensure seamless connections among vehicles, charging stations, charging networks, the grid, and the software systems that make it all work. The E-mobility Innovation Lab includes simulators built to ensure that ABB chargers are compatible with all types of vehicle. 95 percent of all tests will be conducted with digital copies of vehicles.

To test how vehicles perform in very hot or cold weather, ABB has developed environmental testing rooms, where hardware will be subjected to extreme conditions, including temperatures from -40 to +100 degrees Celsius and high humidity. The atrium is large enough for manufacturers to drive their cars, buses or trucks into the lab for testing—an important feature for the rapidly growing heavy-duty EV segment.

ABB designed the facility to minimize its environmental impact. The complex will be connected to the university’s geothermal heating/cooling plant. The roof will house solar panels, connected to a battery storage system.

“Innovation is in our blood—ABB has led the way in EV charging and is proud to have played a key role in driving adoption rates of electric vehicles across the world,” said Frank Muehlon, Head of ABB’s global business for E-mobility Infrastructure Solutions. “That is why we wanted to locate our E-mobility Innovation Lab in Delft, in the heart of the university campus, where we are surrounded by the brightest tech talents and startups in the Netherlands.”

“Within ABB Electrification, we invest approximately $400 million per annum into R&D to ensure we remain at the forefront of technological leadership and set the standard when it comes to sustainable mobility. The new lab will allow us to strengthen our collaboration with EV manufacturers to drive further performance and progress across the sector,” Muehlon added.

Source: ABB