TÜV SÜD establishes global structures for battery testing

TÜV SÜD is massively expanding its testing and certification activities for batteries of electrically powered vehicles. As announced at its press conference at eCarTec today, Tuesday 19 October, TÜV SÜD and its partner Lion Smart are investing several million euros in the construction of a new battery laboratory in Garching near Munich. The existing testing laboratories in Auburn Hills/USA and Singapore will be simultaneously expanded to the same standard as the laboratory designed for Munich. Under the roof of the recently established TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH, the experts will then offer battery testing based on global safety standards.

"The new construction of the laboratory in Munich and the facilities in Auburn Hills and Singapore make TÜV SÜD the first provider of third-party testing services to operate an international network of testing laboratories for the batteries of electric vehicles", underlined Horst Schneider, TÜV SÜD AG Member of the Board responsible for MOBILITY. As Schneider emphasized, a priority for TÜV SÜD is to equip the testing laboratories and design the testing procedures in such a way that testing and certification can be performed to uniform standards and results are reproducible throughout the world: "We are thus responding to demands by industry, and can also play a critical role in ensuring high global standards in battery safety."

TÜV SÜD is investing several million euros in constructing the new laboratory on the premises of TÜV SÜD Automotive in Garching and in extending testing facilities in Auburn Hills and Singapore. Full operation of the Garching–based laboratory is scheduled for as early as mid-2011. The laboratory will test the chemical and electrical safety of new batteries for electrically powered vehicles and subject the high-voltage units to crash tests and 'abuse tests', i.e. tests which examine the risks faced when the batteries are operated or used incorrectly.

To implement its international campaign, TÜV SÜD and its partner Lion Smart GmbH have established TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH to bundle their global battery testing activities. Lion Smart GmbH, based in Frieding and Herrsching, has been established in battery testing for years and is excellently integrated in both industry and science networks.

The Board of Management of TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH comprises Daniel Quinger, now member of management at Lion Smart, and Stefan Rentsch, previously head of TÜV SÜD's "e-mobility innovation project". The company aims to establish a close partnership with TU München (technical university of Munich) and the Fraunhofer Institut in the field of battery design and development. "For TÜV SÜD, the present investment marks an important step towards establishing ourselves as the number one service provider in all safety issues of electromobility", explains Horst Schneider.

Electromobility is one of TÜV SÜD's core themes. The Munich-based provider of testing and certification services already covers the entire range of safety issues related to electric cars. At eCarTec, which continues until 21 October, TÜV SÜD can be found in Hall B5, Stand 330, where its experts provide information about a variety of themes including a new battery safety certificate for pedelecs, the development of roadworthiness testing for electric vehicles and charging systems, homologation and type approval of electric vehicles, and the training of staff in high-voltage technology and safe handling of the vehicles. The TÜV SÜD experts are also presenting a new standard for determining the range of electric vehicles.

Visit the TÜV SÜD website: http://www.tuvps.co.uk/home_psuk/industries/energy/electric_vehicle