USA-headquartered safety science company UL Solutions has opened a battery development facility in South Korea’s central electric vehicle battery manufacturing hub Pyeongtaek. The Korea Advanced Battery Laboratory offers evaluation, certification and analysis services covering the essential stages of development, including concept and design verification and product validation.

“We are thrilled to be part of this region’s innovation ecosystem, where we will sit side-by-side with the world’s top automotive and electric vehicle battery product manufacturers and high-tech companies focusing on the future of mobility and electrification,” said Jeff Smidt, senior vice president of industrial testing, inspection and certification at UL Solutions. “The development of our Korea Advanced Battery Laboratory demonstrates UL Solutions’ commitment to operating at the forefront of the industry and applying our safety science expertise to enable technological innovation and speed to market.”

The facility is staffed by top safety science engineers with substantial knowledge in EV battery technology, with testing performed to standards, including UL and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, United Nations (UN) goals and initiatives, and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards. Analyses can also be carried out customer specifications.

“As demand for electric vehicles grows, consumers seek assurance of reliability and performance, including safer, fast-charging, long-range capabilities and high-power output,” said Yun Chung, regional managing director of UL Solutions in South Korea. “Our strategy to serve the automotive market locally is exemplified by the new UL Solutions Korea Advanced Battery Laboratory aimed at helping South Korean automotive original equipment manufacturers achieve their product reliability and performance goals in a cost-effective and efficient manner.”

The new resource becomes part of UL Solutions’ worldwide network of battery laboratories in the USA, Europe and China.