American Center for Mobility Awarded Grant to Increase Commercial Capacity for Testing and Certification of High-Power Electric Vehicle Chargers

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Jan 30, 2024, 10:07 ET

An EV Charging & Interoperability Test Bed for Scaling EV's

YPSILANTI, Mich., Jan. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has awarded the American Center for Mobility (ACM) and subrecipients CharIN and Argonne National Laboratory, a grant of $2.9 million to help aid America's electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and accelerate a resilient EV charging network.

This project will enhance and expand the electric vehicle (EV) charger testing environment at the American Center for Mobility (ACM), located at Willow Run, in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. By leveraging both private sector contributions and federal funds, ACM and its partners plan to expand current and evolving EV testing and certification capabilities at the Willow Run test facility. A focus will be on increasing the number of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI)-compliant DC fast charger (DCFC) equipment and implementing rigorous testing methods for EV charger operability and interoperability.

"The proliferation of new EVs and EV charging stations as well as over-the-air software updates is spurring the need for more interoperability testing," says Reuben Sarkar, CEO of ACM. "The industry needs a centrally located test bed in the heart of automotive country with a market representation of DC Fast Chargers."

The Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) is the largest global EV charging industry alliance dedicated to realizing the goals of universal charging standards using CCS, MCS, ISO 15118, and SAE J3400. CharIN members span the whole value chain of EV charging and is open to all interested parties, including leading companies from the automotive sector, charging industry, and other associated industries.

According to Erika Myers, the Executive Director of CharIN North America, "CharIN is delighted to support the development of this crucial high-powered EV charging test facility at the American Center for Mobility. With over 60 CharIN members now headquartered in the United States, along with many of our other 330+ global members moving operations to the United States, demand for interoperability and conformance testing is quickly outstripping the supply offered by CharIN's bi-annual testing events, which have been hosted for over seven years in North America and globally. In addition to year-round testing at this facility, we are delighted to make this a permanent site to host CharIN Testivals, which encourages peer-to-peer learning, networking, and equipment interoperability testing."

Argonne experts will contribute their expertise in interoperability testing, test procedure development and deep understanding of EV charging communication standards.

"Argonne has a long-standing history of successful collaborations with ACM and the automotive industry in Michigan more broadly," says Thomas Wallner, Director of Argonne's Transportation and Power Systems Division. "We are excited to support this critical effort towards improving the EV charging experience."

About American Center for Mobility

ACM offers a one-of-a-kind global development center to transform the way industries advance safe, sustainable, and secure mobility technologies. Located in Southeast Michigan on over 500-acres at the historic Willow Run site in Ypsilanti. ACM offers: an Advanced Mobility Proving Ground with test environments featuring specialized infrastructure, equipment, facilities and resources; An innovation and technology campus with an industrial tech park for the co-location of mobility companies; Event and demonstration areas for showcasing mobility technologies and convening industry activities. ACM is open to private industry, start-ups, government, standards bodies, and academia.

For more information about ACM, visit acmwillowrun.org

About CharIN Inc

The Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) Inc. (dba CharIN North America) serves as a leading industry association bringing CharIN's global approach to decarbonization through the electrification of North American transport. Convening together industrywide e-mobility stakeholders including automakers, charging station manufacturers, component suppliers, energy providers, government officials, and grid operators, our organization assists members in coordinating, advancing, and advocating for interoperability across electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Driving forward the widely-adopted Combined Charging System (CCS), the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) platforms, and now the SAE J3400 standard, CharIN works to ensure all electric vehicles – from light-duty passenger cars to freight trucks, e-ferries, ships, and planes – can work seamlessly with available charging stations and services. CharIN serves as a pivotal, unified voice for industry-standard, interoperable charging technologies, and best practices, working with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and policymakers to unleash innovation and encourage the rapid adoption of electric vehicles in municipal, commercial, and private use. For more information about CharIN, visit https://www.charin.global/

For more information about CharIN, visit https://www.charin.global/

About Argonne National Lab

Argonne National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center, where talented scientists and engineers work together to answer the biggest questions facing humanity, from how to obtain affordable clean energy to protecting ourselves and our environment. Argonne is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) and one of our nation's premiere national labs with a strength in transportation related R&D.

For more information about Argonne National Laboratory, visit www.anl.gov

Media Contact: Madison Baughey, [email protected]

For more information about ACM, visit acmwillowrun.org.

SOURCE American Center for Mobility