Sweden’s Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch inaugurates Sweden’s state-of-the-art testbed for electromobility – SEEL

Today, Friday 1 September, saw the inauguration of SEEL, the Swedish Electric Transport Laboratory, which is owned by RISE and Chalmers University of Technology and is comprised of three separate facilities located in Gothenburg, Nykvarn and Borås.

“RISE’s strength is gathering stakeholders and enabling them to join forces in pursuing world-class research and development. SEEL provides a meeting place for industry and research to accelerate the transition within electrification and to strengthen the competitiveness of the Swedish automotive industry,” says Pia Sandvik, CEO of RISE.

“In the context of the rapid transitions that will be required, Chalmers’ role as a university of technology is to contribute the necessary groundbreaking research and engineering expertise, although the actual transition must be made by many stakeholders working together. SEEL is a great example of this,” says Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President and CEO of Chalmers University of Technology.

SEEL is Sweden’s testbed for electromobility and is part of the joint European initiative IPCEI Batteries being conducted together with companies from Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Poland and Germany. SEEL is an open testbed where companies from Europe and the rest of the world can pursue research and development. SEEL fulfils a great need in the transport sector, and CEVT, Scania, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group are active initiative partners who will pursue development activities at the three facilities.

“SEEL’s goal is to increase the rate at which knowledge is amassed as well as to encourage greater collaboration to speed the development of electrified transport. SEEL will also help establish a sustainable and competitive value chain for batteries across Sweden and Europe. The three testbed facilities will enable industry, institutes and academia to test the new technologies and safety required by new means of electrified transport,” says Henrik Svenningstorp, CEO of SEEL.

SEEL’s head office and largest facility, covering a combined area of 13,000 square metres, are located at Gateway Säve in Gothenburg. This is where components for cars, buses and construction equipment are tested, although aircraft, ships and all types of battery systems can be tested here as well.

SEEL’s facility in Nykvarn is focused on research and testing within battery technology, as well as the dynamic testing of electric powertrains for heavy vehicles. This is where we have, among other things, our most heavy-duty equipment for testing electric shafts.

Our lab in Borås for the safety-critical testing of batteries is internationally unique. Here, we can test batteries and battery packs to ensure that they are safe by exposing them to, for instance, vibrations, extreme temperatures, short circuits, mechanical shocks and fire. The lab’s water and fume treatment is world leading when it comes to meeting the environmental and sustainability requirements expected of both our customers and our operations. Such waste products are handled in an advanced treatment plant, with smoke particles and the toxic content of extinguishing water separated for safe disposal.

FACTS – Swedish Electric Transport Laboratory, SEEL
SEEL is a testbed for research and development within electromobility owned by Chalmers University of Technology and RISE through a joint company.

SEEL is receiving state aid in the amount of SEK 575 million from the Swedish Energy Agency. In December 2019, the European Commission greenlighted this state aid being provided within the framework of an Important Project of Common European Interest, or IPCEI, in order to create a European value chain for batteries. The project involves 17 participants from seven member states. It encompasses major European initiatives within raw and advanced materials for batteries, battery cells and modules, and entire battery systems, as well as within the use, recycling and refinement of recovered materials. The initiative is being conducted under the aegis of the European Battery Alliance.

Contact
Henrik Svenningstorp, CEO, SEEL
Telephone: +46 73 840 59 14 Email: henrik.svenningstorp@ri.se

Niklas Jälevik, Head of Media Relations, RISE
Telephone: +46 72 727 53 14 Email: niklas.jalevik@ri.se

Henrik Dahlberg, Head of Media Relations, Chalmers University of Technology
Telephone: +46 73 448 78 67 Email: henrik.dahlberg@chalmers.se