- Keysight Technologies and the Catarc (China Automotive Technology and Research Center) New Energy Vehicle Inspection Center have announced the expansion of their strategic collaboration with the creation of a joint innovation laboratory.
- This facility is dedicated to the development and validation of testing technologies for electric vehicle (NEV) charging.
Photo caption: Keysight Charging Discovery solutions enable the validation of the compliance and interoperability of charging systems for electric vehicles and charging stations.
The electromobility sector is facing a proliferation of charging protocols, increasing transfer power, and heightened safety requirements. For manufacturers and suppliers, the main challenge lies in interoperability, meaning a vehicle’s ability to charge on any infrastructure, regardless of regional specificities.
The joint laboratory will address compatibility and compliance issues with international regulations. Work will focus in particular on the future Chinese national standard 2024, as well as the requirements of the Combined Charging System (CCS) used in Europe and North America.
Testing and Certification Methodologies
Under this agreement, the Catarc inspection center has integrated Keysight’s vehicle-charger compliance testing solutions. These tools verify adherence to communication protocols and energy flows between the vehicle (EV) and the energy supply equipment (EVSE).
The technical objective is to provide a validation environment capable of simulating various charging scenarios and identifying potential malfunctions before market launch. This approach, combining simulation and physical testing, aims to reduce development risks and facilitate the homologation of vehicles intended for export.
Synergy between standards expertise and measurement solutions
This collaboration combines Catarc’s experience in standardization and certification in the Chinese market with Keysight’s electronic measurement capabilities. The laboratory will serve as a platform for defining standardized test methods, particularly for high-power charging systems.
By centralizing technical resources, the two entities aim to address the challenges posed by the rapid evolution of charging infrastructure and the complexity of embedded energy management software. This partnership marks a step toward aligning testing procedures between Chinese industry standards and international regulatory frameworks.
