ABB accelerates e-mobility push with new global R&D centre

Along with an investment of USD 30 million into a global Centre of Excellence and production site for EV charging infrastructure, due to open next year in Italy, the facility in Delft underlines ABB’s commitment to e-mobility. “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,” says Frank Muehlon, Head of ABB’s global business for E-mobility Infrastructure Solutions, in a press release. The complex, which will house up to 120 specialists, marks the return of ABB’s EV charging business to the home of its conception. The students who founded Epyon (the EV charging start-up acquired by ABB in 2011), were former students from Delft University of Technology. “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. As part of this investment, we are focused on pushing the boundaries of e-mobility, predominantly in the areas of charging, storage and digitalization. The new lab will allow us to strengthen our collaboration with EV manufacturers to drive further performance and progress across the sector,” Muehlon continues. The E-mobility Innovation Lab has been fitted technology to ensure that ABB chargers are compatible with all types of vehicle. Simulators have been built exactly for this purpose, with 95% of all tests to be conducted with a digital copy of vehicles. To test how vehicles perform in very hot or cold weather, ABB has developed special environmental testing rooms, where solutions 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 warm and controlled environment to conduct testing, which will help advance charging for the rapidly growing electric-heavy vehicle segment.