ABB accelerates innovation in electric mobility with a new global R&D center

The facility, which will employ 120 specialists, marks the return of ABB’s EV charging business to the place where it was conceived. In fact, the students who founded Epyon (the EV charging startup acquired by ABB in 2011) were all former students at Delft University of Technology.

“At ABB Electrification, we invest approximately $400 million annually in R&D to ensure we remain at the forefront of technological leadership and set the standard in sustainable mobility. A portion of this investment is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of electric 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 greater performance and progress across the industry,” Muehlon added.

Ensuring a strong and seamless connection between vehicles, charging stations, charging networks, and the power grid, along with the software systems that support them, is key for ABB. The e-mobility innovation lab has been equipped with the latest technology to ensure that ABB’s chargers are compatible with all types of vehicles. The simulators have been built specifically for this purpose, and 95 percent of all tests will be conducted using a digital copy of the vehicles.

To test vehicle performance in very hot or cold climates, ABB has developed special environmental test rooms, where solutions will be subjected to extreme conditions, with temperatures ranging from -40 to +100 degrees Celsius and high humidity. The atrium is large enough for manufacturers to place their cars, buses, or trucks in a warm, controlled environment. There, they will conduct tests that will help further advance charging for a rapidly growing segment of heavy-duty electric vehicles.

Given ABB’s commitment to supporting a low-carbon society, it was vital to create a building that would not only further advance the progress of sustainable mobility, but also ensure that the facilities constructed would minimize their environmental impact.

For heating and cooling, the ABB complex will be connected to the Delft University of Technology’s geothermal heating and cooling plant. The roof will feature solar panels, with solar inverters converting the direct current collected from the sun into alternating current. This, combined with ABB’s advanced building management system for climate and lighting control and the battery storage system, will allow energy for testing to be diverted to the grid.

In November of this year, ABB announced that it will increase spending on R&D and digital to approximately 5 percent of annual revenue generated by the business. This approach creates greater value for customers and drives higher quality of the company’s revenue, focusing on high-growth segments such as electric mobility. ABB has approximately 7,000 R&D employees across the group, 60 percent of whom are focused on software development and digital innovations.

ABB entered the electric vehicle charging market in 2010 and has sold more than 17,000 ABB DC fast chargers in 80 countries to date. Its commitment to driving progress in e-mobility is most clearly demonstrated through its sponsorship of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which is about to enter its fourth season. Starting with the ninth season in 2022-23, ABB will be the official charging provider of the championship.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company driving the transformation of society and industry for a more productive and sustainable future. ABB integrates software into its electrification, robotics, automation, and motion product portfolio to push the boundaries of technology and drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence dating back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is powered by approximately 110,000 talented employees in more than 100 countries.

More information at www.abb.com