UL signs MoU with ITRI in Taiwan to develop safety requirements for electric vehicles

TAIPEI, TAIWAN: Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Taiwan's globally renowned Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to develop safety testing methodologies and requirements for power systems in electric vehicles.

The electric vehicle (EV) industry has become a major emerging focus worldwide. One of the critical factors driving the widespread adoption of EVs is product safety. To address product safety concerns and to help EV manufacturers to get their new products to the global market timely and efficiently, UL has been developing new safety standards for the EV industry.

"We expect our alliance with ITRI, the organization that has leading R&D capabilities and strong industry ties, to accelerate Taiwan's development of electric vehicles that combine performance and security," said Gary Savin, UL's vice president and general manager of global power & controls business. "We are contributing our technological expertise, which is backed by more than a century of experience in safety testing, certification and standards development."

After releasing a new set of requirements for electric vehicle charges in 1998, UL has been delivering a broad range of testing solutions and safety standards for electric vehicles and associated components. In the next five years, UL and ITRI plan to develop testing methodologies for safety of electric vehicles, including charging systems (on and off-vehicle), power batteries, and electric power systems.

"UL's expertise in testing and certification services will further strengthen our efforts in developing integrated technologies in electric vehicles," said ITRI President Johnsee Lee. "We believe the partnership with UL will capitalize on Taiwan's excellent industrial base in car electronics and stimulate progress and innovation on safety standards, product design, and testing methodologies in electric vehicles, giving Taiwan manufacturers significant enhancements for product quality and time-to-market."

In 2009 UL also established the Advanced Energy Safety Center (AESC) to conduct research for safety of emerging technologies in Taiwan. AESC focuses on safety-testing technologies that support development of EV power systems as well as systems that generate power from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.