There’s no overstating the importance of AEM and its members staying up to date on the current regulatory, compliance and standards environment in the off-road equipment industry. This helps companies maintain market access, build safer machines and meet the ever-changing demands of their customers.
It’s why AEM established its Alternative Power Technical Committee (APTC), which serves to provide a centralized discussion and collection point for global regulations and standards regarding new power source technologies, beyond the traditional diesel or gasoline. It’s also why the committee has tasked itself with two key tasks to close out 2023: examining the current world of standards related to alternative power, and assessing the global regulatory environment and make sure AEM can respond with comments and engagement opportunities to make sure that the off-road equipment industry’s viewpoints are understood by policymakers.
When it comes to standards related to alternative power, this includes battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell, alternative liquid fuels and other powertrain technology offerings. The key issue that the off-road equipment industry is working to address is to understand if the current standards offering covers the technologies, products and end-use applications of the off-road industry.
The industry will then decide which standards make sense to adopt, which need amending, and which standards need to be built from the ground up. All this work is to ensure that future product offerings are safe, effective and compliant. On top of this, the group also hopes to overcome end user adoption barriers, prior to them become a burden.
Meanwhile, in staying abreast of the global regulatory environment and engaging policymakers, AEM works to make sure that our members can continue to offer their products into global markets and minimize the need to maintain different designs or technology offerings.
Finally, the goal of the APTC is to make sure that the industry continues to promote best practices and educate industry stakeholders with regards to adopting these new technologies. This work will involve issuing guidance documents, best practice white papers and sharing of information on new developments in the alternative power space. In an effort to keep the entire value chain updated on the industry’s efforts to decarbonize, AEM will strive to be the voice of the consolidated industry and provide views, from a broad level, on opportunities and challenges our members are facing.
One way AEM is doing this is by participating in the upcoming 3rd Design & Development of Zero-Emission Off-Highway Machinery conference, taking place Dec. 7-8 in Chicago, Illinois. This event will provide the AEM team a way to learn from others in the industry and strive toward a collaborative effort to ensure smooth progression toward the approaching alternatively powered equipment world.
AEM’s Vice President of Construction and Utility, John Somers, will be leading a panel discussion with three AEM member company representatives titled “Equipment Manufacturers Opportunities and Challenges While Driving Toward Decarbonization” on day two of the event.
AEM members can receive a discount of 25% off the registration fee by using code: AEM25
This technology area is fast developing, and it is important for AEM to stay abreast of these topics and issues as they arrive as well as continue to educate and collaborate with the entire industry.
For more information about AEM’s efforts related to engine emissions or alternative power, including getting engaged with our efforts and we help drive collaboration and unify the message, please reach out to AEM's John Somers at jsomers@aem.org.
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