ABB has announced a US$10m (£7.4m) e-mobility research and development centre to be built in the Netherlands.
Upon completion, the 3,600m2 facility will be located at the Delft University of Technology campus and house 120 specialists working on ABB’s EV charging portfolio.
The centre will develop connections between vehicles, charging stations, charging networks, and the grid.
It will also build software systems that support EV charging and ensure ABB chargers are compatible with all types of vehicles. The facility will also include simulators to enable testing with a digital copy of all vehicle models.
Furthermore, the complex will include special environmental testing rooms to trial how the technology reacts in very hot or cold weather. ABB said trials of extreme conditions include temperatures from -40°C to +100°C as well as high humidity.
According to ABB, the atrium is large enough for manufacturers to drive cars, buses or trucks into the warm and controlled environment to conduct testing, helping to advance charging for the rapidly growing electric-heavy vehicle segment.
The new facility represents something of a return to the home of ABB’s EV charging business as the students who founded Epyon, the EV charging start-up acquired by ABB in 2011, were former students from Delft University of Technology.
Frank Muehlon, head of ABB’s global business for e-mobility infrastructure solutions, said: “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.
“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 start-ups in the Netherlands.”
The announcement follows an investment of US$30m (£22m) into a global R&D centre and production site for EV charging infrastructure due to open next year in Italy.
