MEDIA RELEASE PR38778
Underwriters Laboratories Signed MOU With Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan to
Develop Safety Requirements for Electric Vehicles
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Mar. 17 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
UL to Help Taiwan Manufacturers Meet Global Safety Standards and
Accelerate Global Market Access
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), a world leader in product safety
testing and certification services, today 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.
About Underwriters Laboratories
UL is an independent product safety certification organization that has
been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for more than a
century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components,
materials and systems from more than 66,000 manufacturers each year. In
total, there are more than 20 billion UL Marks appearing on products
worldwide. UL's global family of companies and network of service providers
includes 68 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving
customers in 102 countries. For more information, visit:
About Industrial Technology Research Institute
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is a nonprofit R&D
organization engaging in applied research and technical services. Founded in
1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's economy from a
labor-intensive industry to a high-tech industry. Numerous well-known
high-tech companies in Taiwan, such as leaders in the semiconductor industry
TSMC and UMC can all trace their origins to ITRI. For more information,
SOURCE: Underwriters Laboratories
CONTACT: Yassie Dunn of Underwriters Laboratories,
+1-847-664-3056,
Yassie.Dunn@us.ul.com;
or Chris Suttile of GolinHarris,
+1-312-729-4224,
csuttile@golinharris.com,
for Underwriters Laboratories
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