Moog at Conexpo 2026: a Modular Path to Electrified, Automated Machines

At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 in Las Vegas (March 3–7), Moog delivered a clear message: off-highway electrification will not follow a single standard, so OEMs need architectures that can adapt without constant redesign as battery voltage, chemistry, and subsystem choices evolve.

The centrepiece was Moog’s Adaptive Electrification Management System (AEMS), a modular electrification and control platform designed to simplify how electric machines are built, scaled, and supported. Moog framed AEMS as a way to reduce integration effort by packaging core building blocks, including motion control and power management, into repeatable modules that can be configured by machine type and function.

What Moog brought to the show floor

AEMS as a multi-axis, stackable system
AEMS scales by adding modules. The approach is to map the number of axes to be controlled, meaning electric motors and electrically actuated functions, then size the inverter and control “boxes” accordingly. The aim is to let OEMs reuse the same core parts across multiple platforms and sizes, easing supply chain and procurement complexity.

Moog outlined examples shown at the booth. A six-axis configuration was presented for a compact track loader (CTL): two traction drives, electric actuators for bucket and boom functions, plus auxiliary electric. A five-axis setup combined a dual-axis module with a single-axis module to control three electric motors. The takeaway is a control architecture that expands with machine functionality rather than forcing a new electrical backbone at each step.

High-voltage focus and “power-source agnostic” design

Voltage was a recurring theme. Higher voltages were linked to larger machines, while 2 to 3 ton minis were described as typically lower voltage. In that context, Moog highlighted a heater and power-management concept described as “power source agnostic”, intended to work across different energy sources as the industry settles into a likely mix of battery-electric and hybrid solutions.

Moog also pointed to busbar-related elements tied to packaging and power distribution, aligned with its wider push to simplify machine electrical architecture.

Who AEMS is built for: OEM production first

Moog emphasized that while AEMS can support retrofit and aftermarket use, its main target is high-volume OEM production. The logic is that once an architecture is validated and pulled into a production line, cost drops, and the same modules can then make sense for lower-volume specialty machines through integrators and distribution.

Moog also stressed early co-development with OEMs as they define machine architecture, aiming for cost-effective design choices rather than chasing maximum efficiency at any price. The positioning reflects a broader reality: many equipment builders are still building deep internal capability in electronics and electrification.

Electrification does not mean “no hydraulics”

Another consistent point was that hydraulics are not going away, particularly on larger machines. Moog’s view is that electromechanical actuators will show up first in compact equipment and in applications where leak-free operation is critical. For larger equipment with many cylinders, Moog highlighted the weight and cost penalties of big electromechanical actuators, including the knock-on effects on balance and counterweighting. The near-term outcome is likely mixed architectures combining electric traction, selective electric work functions, and hydraulics where they remain the most practical option.

Industry validation: Next Level Awards finalist

Moog’s CONEXPO presence also included third-party recognition. AEMS was named among the 20 finalists for CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s Next Level Awards, selected from more than 230 submissions. For Moog, it reinforced the idea that modular electrification platforms built for configuration and updates are becoming a foundation for the next phase of electrified and increasingly automated equipment.

Moog at Conexpo 2026: a Modular Path to Electrified, Automated Machines published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.