(Yicai Global) July 23 -- UL, an independent global safety certification company, has broken ground on a laboratory in China that will test electric vehicle batteries, expanding the firm's services in the sector and potentially further spurring the local smart EV and core parts industry.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday in Changzhou, in eastern Jiangsu province, according to Xinhua News Agency and local media reports. The city is an important industrial cluster for makers of car parts and components in Jiangsu. The project's first phase is scheduled to be completed and put into operation early next year.

The first-phase building area will reach 9,000 square meters, the reports said. The lab aims to test products across the entire power battery industry chain, including power battery cells, components, battery packs and systems. Its service will also extend to assessing businesses related to smart electric vehicles.

Many Chinese carmakers such as BAIC BJEV, Dongfeng Motor and BYD Auto already own or plan to invest and build production lines for new energy vehicles in Changzhou. Other industry chains, including for motors, batteries, chassis, power systems, and auto bodies, have also settled in the city.