In a significant development for the electric vehicle (EV) sector, ActionPower, a prominent provider of power solutions, alongside its South Korean distribution partner, RED Solutions, introduced two cutting-edge test-system products at InterBattery 2026. These innovations, the PRO20 regenerative AC programmable power supply and the NEO-PRO battery testing and cycling system, are specifically engineered to address the evolving and rigorous demands of EV battery and power electronics development.
The global shift towards electric mobility necessitates increasingly sophisticated testing infrastructure. ActionPower and RED Solutions are positioning their new offerings to meet these critical industry requirements, providing robust and efficient tools for engineers to push the boundaries of EV performance and reliability.
Introducing the PRO20: Scalable AC Programmable Power for EV Development
The flagship product on the power electronics testing front is the PRO20, a regenerative AC programmable power supply. This system is designed with a highly modular architecture, allowing for exceptional flexibility and scalability in various EV engineering applications.
ActionPower reports that a single cabinet configuration of the PRO20 system offers a substantial power range, covering outputs from 50 kVA up to 750 kVA. This inherent modularity is a key advantage, enabling research and development facilities to tailor the system to their specific power needs without significant overhauls.
For more demanding high-power testing scenarios, the PRO20 demonstrates impressive scalability. The system can be expanded by paralleling up to eight individual cabinets, achieving a formidable combined output of 6 MVA. This capability is crucial for testing large-scale EV powertrains, charging infrastructure, and energy storage systems.
Advanced Operational Modes and Efficiency
A core feature of the PRO20 is its support for four-quadrant operation, which integrates both source and regenerative load capabilities. This bidirectional power flow is essential for accurately simulating real-world conditions where power can flow both into and out of the device under test, such as during vehicle acceleration and regenerative braking.
Furthermore, the system boasts an impressive energy recovery efficiency of up to 94%. This high efficiency translates into significant operational cost savings for testing facilities, as a substantial portion of the energy consumed during testing is returned to the grid rather than dissipated as heat. It also aligns with sustainability goals within the EV engineering sector.
The PRO20 offers versatile output modes, including AC, DC, and a combined AC+DC. This flexibility allows engineers to conduct a wide array of tests on different EV components, from on-board chargers and DC-DC converters to AC motors and complete vehicle powertrains. The output can also be configured for single-phase, split-phase, or three-phase operation, adapting to diverse testing standards and component specifications.
Grid Simulation and Waveform Generation Capabilities
Beyond its power delivery functions, the PRO20 is equipped with advanced capabilities for simulating various grid conditions. It can accurately reproduce voltage sags, swells, harmonics, and other disturbances commonly encountered in electrical grids. This functionality is vital for ensuring the robustness and compliance of EV power electronics with international standards, such as those specified in IEC 61000.
The system also offers the ability to generate arbitrary waveforms up to the 100th harmonic, providing engineers with precise control over test signals. This granular control is indispensable for in-depth analysis of component behavior under complex and non-ideal power conditions, ensuring optimal performance and reliability of EV systems.
To further streamline compliance testing, the PRO20 comes with built-in IEC 61000 test profiles. These pre-programmed tests simplify the process of verifying electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and power quality performance of EV components, accelerating development cycles and ensuring regulatory adherence.
NEO-PRO Battery Testing and Cycling System: Powering EV Battery Development
Complementing the PRO20, the NEO-PRO system is specifically tailored for the rigorous testing requirements of mid-range EV battery packs and stationary energy storage (ESS) applications. This dedicated battery testing and cycling system is a crucial tool for validating the performance, longevity, and safety of battery technologies.
According to ActionPower and RED Solutions, the NEO-PRO system provides scalable output power ranging from 150 kW to 500 kW. This wide power band allows it to accommodate a variety of battery sizes and power requirements, making it a versatile asset for diverse EV battery development projects.
A key technical highlight is its ability to operate at voltages up to 1200 V. This high-voltage capability is particularly pertinent given the industry trend towards higher voltage EV architectures, which promise faster charging times and improved efficiency. The NEO-PRO ensures that battery packs designed for these advanced platforms can be thoroughly tested and validated.
Enhanced Efficiency and Precision for Battery Testing
The NEO-PRO system also incorporates bidirectional power flow, a critical feature for battery cyclers. This allows for both charging (sourcing power to the battery) and discharging (sinking power from the battery), enabling comprehensive charge/discharge cycle testing. Its energy efficiency exceeds 95%, meaning minimal energy loss during the demanding battery cycling process, leading to reduced operational costs and a smaller environmental footprint for EV engineering facilities.
Precision is paramount in battery testing, and the NEO-PRO delivers with an accuracy of up to ±0.05% full scale. This high level of measurement accuracy ensures reliable data acquisition, which is fundamental for precise characterization of battery performance, state-of-charge, and state-of-health during extensive testing cycles.
Furthermore, the system boasts rapid switching times, registering below 6 ms. This quick response time is essential for dynamic testing scenarios, allowing for accurate simulation of transient loads and rapid changes in battery conditions, mimicking real-world driving cycles and usage patterns in EVs.
Versatility and Production Line Integration
To enhance testing throughput and flexibility, the NEO-PRO system offers a dual-channel option. This allows for simultaneous testing of two independent battery packs or cells, significantly increasing the efficiency of testing operations in busy EV engineering labs.
Designed with modularity in mind, the NEO-PRO is also intended for seamless integration into production lines. This facilitates end-of-line testing for manufactured battery packs, ensuring quality control and adherence to performance specifications before deployment in electric vehicles or energy storage systems.
Strategic Collaboration for EV Innovation
The NEO series represents a synergistic collaboration, combining ActionPower’s robust power hardware expertise with RED Solutions’ specialized battery testing software. This integrated approach ensures that the hardware and software components work in harmony, providing a comprehensive and intuitive testing environment for engineers.
Together, the companies are strategically targeting critical applications within EV battery pack and ESS cycling. Their focus is on delivering solutions where regenerative efficiency, high-voltage capability, and flexible scaling are not merely desirable features, but essential prerequisites for cutting-edge EV engineering and development.
The introduction of the PRO20 and NEO-PRO systems underscores ActionPower and RED Solutions’ commitment to advancing the capabilities of EV testing infrastructure. These powerful and efficient solutions are poised to play a crucial role in accelerating the development, validation, and market readiness of next-generation electric vehicles and energy storage technologies, ultimately contributing to the broader adoption of sustainable transportation.