Rockwell Automation has opened a new 8,000-square-foot Electric Vehicle Innovation Center within an existing development facility in San Jose, California. The center will provide live manufacturing demonstrations, hands-on trials utilizing new technology, and events showcasing collaboration with industry experts and Rockwell partners.

Using augmented and virtual reality modeling, Rockwell hopes the EV Innovation Center will provide automotive start-ups and established manufacturers with an opportunity to learn new technologies and standards and enable them to deliver EVs to market faster, with less risk and at lower cost.

At the center, Rockwell combines its own technology with technology from several partners. The company’s FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, for example, is powered by electronics company PTC, while Eagle Technologies provides the battery pack assembly machine and FANUC furnishes robot technologies.

“With growing global consumer demand, electric vehicle companies are challenged to meet aggressive production timelines,” said Rockwell Vice President John Kacsur. “We established the Electric Vehicle Innovation Center to expand their possibilities and get their products to consumers quickly and at the lowest possible cost, while operating more efficiently.”

Source: Rockwell Automation