Underwriters Laboratories Signed MOU With Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan to Develop Safety Requirements for Electric Vehicles

Taipei, Taiwan, March 17, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - 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: http://www.ul.com/newsroom

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, visit:
http://www.itri.org.tw/eng/

ots Originaltext: Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
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