Why does the off-highway industry continue to lag in electrification? 

According to a recent survey from McKinsey, range anxiety and long charging times remain top concerns among commercial fleet operators, potentially contributing to stalled adoption. 

While these concerns are valid, the shift toward electrification has become an essential step forward.

Tightening regulations and overwhelming market demand for efficient, electrified machinery mean that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must adapt to keep pace. Yet doing so within the limitations of electric machinery requires innovation and modern charging solutions.

Far from an afterthought in the design process, industrial chargers must be carefully integrated with the electric drivetrain to enable efficient operations. A holistic evaluation - of the charger, the drivetrain, and the overall market trajectory - is needed for OEM design teams to ensure compliant, efficient, and sustainable operations.

Three Factors Driving Electrification 

Industrial electrification indeed lags behind the well-established automotive sector, however this may prove advantageous. 

For example, EV charging station infrastructure anticipates a $12.1 billion value and 4 million public charging points by 2030 , promising to simplify on-demand recharging for industrial machinery outfitted with compatible charging interfaces. 

While such cross-industry progress aims to close the electrification gap, note three factors powering the all-electric transition in industrial machinery: 

• Regulatory pressures - Moving into 2025, worldwide sustainability goals are coming to a critical milestone. Though political factors may influence localized rulings, it’s clear that the global objective remains unchanged. With the UN’s goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 clearly in sight, regulations are anticipated to grow - rather, for the sake of a sustainable future, they must.
• Technological advancements - As power electronics, battery, and charger technology improve, so do their potential applications. Fully automated forklifts and similar autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) see expanded ranges and simplified operations thanks to advancements, such as increasingly power-dense batteries and wireless charging infrastructure.
• Market headwinds - Regulatory pressure and technological progress ultimately drive heightened demand for greener solutions across global markets. Off-highway electric vehicles, in particular, are projected to reach a global market size of $67.4 billion by 2030 - nearly double its $35.5 billion market in 2023.

With all of these factors in consideration, OEMs are better equipped than ever to electrify, regardless of industry or region. The challenge lies in how they do so.

Battery Charging Best Practices for OEMs Seeking to Electrify

Design teams may conclude that a charger is just a means of powering the battery. In reality, both components are indispensable pillars in electric or hybrid machine architecture. Each one influences the other, and must be chosen in the context of the machine’s duty cycles.

To that point, consider the difference between low-discharge and high-discharge applications:

• Low-discharge - Equipment that operates on steady, moderate power over extended periods. For example, electric forklifts and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) operate continuously and under relatively “flat” operating conditions.
• High-discharge - Machinery with less predictable duty cycles requiring rapid bursts of high power such as mining trucks hauling heavy loads uphill, or excavators digging through challenging terrain.

Well-designed battery and charging solutions account for these operational differences.

For example, a high-discharge application, such as an industrial forklift, requires a charger capable of delivering quick, high-power cycles - and the durability to hold up against accompanying vibrations, temperature spikes, and similar operational variables. Such equipment also benefits from opportunity charging, capitalizing on unpredicted downtime to extend its duty cycles. In contrast, low-discharge applications, like automated guided vehicles (AGVs), benefit from slower, predictable charging cycles to maximize battery life.

Given the wide variety of potential strategies, OEMs and design engineers must determine which options deliver the proper balance of sustainability, efficiency, and financial viability. 

How can they do so? Note three best practices for OEMs seeking to electrify: 

Consider Application Needs

A key advantage of electric equipment is the ability to optimize it specifically for the intended application. At the same time, electrification introduces new concepts that may be unfamiliar to legacy OEMs experienced with combustion machinery. 

When designing machines, it is essential to consider several factors:

• Type of charger – On-board chargers provide flexibility and convenience, enabling vehicles to recharge from standard electrical outlets. This is particularly ideal for light-duty applications and environments with limited charging infrastructure. Off-board chargers deliver higher power levels for faster charging but require dedicated (and often costly) infrastructure.
• Connector standards – Ensuring future-proof operations relies on adhering to common standards such as SAE J1772 or IEC 62196 (Type 2) connections. These region-specific protocols facilitate efficient and safe power transfer and should be considered during the electrification process. 
• Voltage requirements and charging speed – In theory, increasing powering and voltage enables faster charging. However, OEMs must also consider the effects of higher power levels. How will the accompanying higher temperatures be controlled? Will the resulting cooling system create additional complications, such as disruptive fan noise during overnight charge cycles? 

By assessing operational demands, available facilities, and existing infrastructure from the design stage, OEMs can establish a solid foundation for optimization.

Choose the Right Charger

The next step is finding a charger that aligns with the defined application needs. In general, charger choice should include:

• High power density
• Robust, reliable operations in harsh environments and temperatures
• Global regulatory compliance
• Functional safety

However, such features are simply the baseline.

To enable efficient, reliable operations, OEMs must develop a forward-looking perspective when designing or selecting a charging solution. Note the following features and how they directly boost efficiency:

• Optimized charging algorithms adjust parameters in real-time to improve efficiency and maximize battery life, improving return on investment (ROI) and reducing the environmental burden of creating and recycling batteries.
• Smart communication and vehicle networking systems communicate with the charger, enabling more precise insights to power more efficient operations. They may trace the machine duty cycle to allow for more efficient charging schedules or algorithms.
• Efficient power conversion and intelligent standby modes minimize power loss while eliminating “phantom draw”—a common source of unnecessary energy consumption when machinery is idle, reducing the battery pack’s maximum state of charge (SOC).

Prioritizing advanced features enables OEMs to elevate their electrification strategy beyond the baseline, developing systems that meet regulatory demands while enhancing operational efficiency.

Integrate Tailored Solutions 

Integration of batteries and chargers is just as crucial as their selection, impacting the performance, efficiency, and reliability of the entire system. To illustrate, consider two common design approaches:

• Option 1: Open system design built for off-the-shelf, easily replaceable and serviceable batteries and chargers.
• Option 2: Closed-loop design where the charger is integrated with and tailored for the specific battery.

While option 1 may appear more flexible, it often leads to suboptimal performance and costly warranty claims—ultimately resulting in a more expensive yet less efficient machine. Option 2, while requiring a more deliberate approach, improves performance, battery life, and safety across the whole system. 

As the industry moves toward more integrated solutions, OEMs will need to find a balance between these two design principles to power their electrified machinery.

The Benefits of Optimized Charging Solutions in Off-Highway Machines

For OEMs and fleet owners, aligning with regulatory demands is critical to staying competitive. Yet the benefits of electrification extend far beyond compliance, offering genuine advantages over traditional combustion machinery:

• Improved ROI – Electric machines often have lower maintenance costs due to fewer moving parts and reduced fuel expenses. High energy efficiency further contributes to cost savings over the equipment's lifespan.
• Future-proofed operations – Compliance with upcoming regulations ensures continued market access, avoids penalties, and supports OEMs in advancing toward sustainable solutions.
• Scalable fleet management with telematics data – Advanced chargers with communication capabilities enable data collection on usage patterns, battery health, and performance metrics, facilitating informed decision-making and efficient fleet management.
• Quiet and comfortable operations – Electric machines produce less noise and vibration, enhancing operator comfort and allowing for extended operation hours in noise-sensitive environments.

These benefits, and more, are achieved by thoughtfully pairing the right charger with the machine’s overall architecture.

Charging a Greener Future for Industrial Machinery

Modern electrified machines are much more than the “sum of their parts”. Electrification unlocks new efficiencies, with each component capable of enhancing the others. In this interconnected ecosystem, chargers play a central role in enhancing value at every touchpoint.

As the drive toward greener solutions accelerates, OEMs face increasing pressure to align with tighter regulations while delivering machines that meet the demands of modern industries. A strategic approach to charger selection and integration will prove a critical competitive edge moving forward.

By consulting with experienced equipment suppliers and electrification experts, OEMs ensure that these goals are not only achievable, but scalable for future success.

Sources:

• Mckinsey. Range anxiety on the road to zero emissions.
• Research and Markets. Off-Highway Electric Vehicles - Global Strategic Business Report. 
• Delta-Q Technologies. Panel Discussion on The Evolution and Future of Battery Charging Technology.

About Luca Vezzadini

Luca Vezzadini holds the position of Applications Engineer at ZIVAN, a ZAPI GROUP company. Since joining ZIVAN, his role has been to support electrification for non-road mobile machinery and on-road vehicle applications. Before joining ZIVAN, Vezzadini worked as an embedded systems engineer for an engineering services company that specialized in delivering solutions for non-road mobile machinery. He holds a Master's degree in Mechatronic Engineering from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.