Moog Simplifies Off-Highway Electrification

May 20, 2026

Matt Wolfe

Moog Inc. introduced its new adaptive electrification management system (AEMS) at a press conference during CONEXPO 2026 in Las Vegas.

Moog states that this system offers a path to electrify, automate and digitalize construction machinery more efficiently and cost-effectively.

“End users in the off-highway market are demanding that their machines have higher productivity and a lower total cost of ownership,” said Dr. Nate Keller, Moog strategic business manager. “OEMs are working to solve this problem, and one of the particular ways is through electrification.”

Lowering total cost of ownership has been a major challenge for OEMs and suppliers looking to electrify off-highway machines. This was one of the main goals of Moog’s system, which features a bus bar to eliminate cables. This provides a claimed 30% cost savings as well as a 50% part-count reduction. This in turn increases the reliability of the machine and provides better packaging.

Dr. Nate Keller, Moog strategic business manager. (SAE/Matt Wolfe)

“Our products help lower that upfront cost of the machine, and they significantly reduce the complexity of the machine,” Keller stated. “Complexity equates to cost. If you can pull complexity down on the machine level, then the machine cost will go down because there is less assembly time, fewer parts and less engineering required to design and package it.”

According to Moog, this system is currently in use in Bobcat’s Rogue X3 CTL. The system is mounted inside the vehicle like a compact “bookshelf” holding a configurable controller, DC/DC converter, high-voltage distribution and single- and dual-axis inverters. This modular, universal system allows OEMs to electrify and automate a range of machinery.

“AEMS is the most efficient path to achieving electrification, automation and digitalization goals while slashing the cost and boosting the reliability of producing and servicing next-generation vehicles,” Keller said. Moog also states that the system reduces testing and configuration time by up to eight hours and supports over-the-air software updates post-production to add new features.

Following the introductory press conference, SAE Media interviewed Keller at Moog’s booth to discuss the system in depth. Keller discussed how it can simplify electrification of numerous off-highway machines and why cost and complexity reduction is so important to the growth of electrification.

What was the thought process that led Moog to build this system?

Keller: “From a high level, a lot of the electric machines that OEMs are making today are more like prototypes. If you look underneath the hood, you see all the different cables and boxes which actually add complexity to the system. So we asked how do we solve that? We wanted to create an electric solution that helps reduce complexity and increase the reliability of the machine. Instead of having all these separate boxes you have to jump with different cables, we created this adaptive electrification management system. For example, instead of using cables that connect from box to box, you have a positive and a negative line. This eliminates a lot of cables and connectors, which are quite expensive. The price of one connector can be $70 or more, and cables can be upwards of $150 each. So the cost savings add up quickly.”

So it’s fair to say that cost savings is one of the big selling points?

Keller: “Absolutely. When we talk about the cost of electrification, it’s not just about components like cables, it’s also the cost of the battery, cost of inverters and everything else it requires. The volume is just not there to help bring those prices down. But this is a step in that direction. For instance, these systems have coolant hoses and connectors because you have to cool your power electronics. So, we use a common coolant manifold. Each one of these modules slides into that manifold. You also need to look at overall maintainability, which this system addresses as well. The modules were designed around a bookshelf approach so that they slide in and out. We did that for packaging, but also for maintainability. That’s another thing you run into with all the different connectors and cables, and that’s where there’s more likely going to be a water ingress or some sort of failure point. If you can reduce the amount of cables and connectors, there’s less likely to be the problems.”

Can you expand on the importance of reducing cable complexity and other system simplifications in terms of maintainability?

Moog’s system is currently in use in Bobcat’s Rogue X3 CTL. (Moog)

Moog states that its system provides 30% cost savings as well as a 50% part-count reduction. (Moog)

Keller: “It depends on how many things you’re trying to run. If you’re just running one or two motors, there’s not going to be that many cables. But once you start running three, four, five or more, it becomes more challenging and more of a spaghetti mess. That’s where this system really shines. We also have advanced diagnostics built into this system. Let’s say there’s a failure in one of these components. The technician will open a tablet which will show them where the failure point is. They disconnect a few of these cables, remove two bolts, slide it out and slide a new module back in. The controller will automatically detect where this component is, what it’s supposed to do or what it’s supposed to drive. It will flash that hardware or flash that configuration onto the drive so the technician doesn’t have to plug in.

They don’t have to flash any configurations, they don’t have to do any coding, it’s all automatically done. So, all said and done, the total repair should take less than 15 minutes. The advanced diagnostic system will tell them what’s wrong, and once they replace the defective part, the controller will take care of everything else. It’s just really very simple. In terms of diagnostics, electrification is so much smarter, but we had to ask ourselves why isn’t it easier and why aren’t people making it easier to service? So that’s what we’ve been trying to do. There’s so many more sensors. There’s so much more data. Why not utilize that to assist and make it easier if it’s smarter?”

What has been the overall reception to this system when you’ve presented it?

Keller: “We’ve shown it to several major OEMs, and some of them actually have them for testing now. Our Rogue X3 machine is in several Bobcat units right now and they are also testing it in some of their other potential products. From what we’ve heard from them and other OEMs so far, the results are quite promising. In our view, this system is exactly what the market needs for widespread electrification. If you compare it from a component cost standpoint, once you start accounting for cables, connectors, fittings, hoses, it really starts making a big difference. Obviously, there’s a number of applications this system could have, but the CTL [compact track loader] is the first thing that we’re really seeing utilize it.”