Powertrain electrification continues to be a growing trend in vehicular applications. Electric powertrains have numerous advantages over traditional mechanical and hydraulic powertrains but there are still important challenges to overcome for long-term commercial success. This research presents a technological assessment of present and future developments of powertrain electrification in non-road mobile machinery (NRMM). The challenges and opportunities of NRMM electrification are described in detail. The trends and drivers related to technological development such as regulations, policies and market development are analyzed, and technology enablers are highlighted. Future scenarios are formulated based on the prevailing trends and drivers, development of key components, scientific literature and status of the non-road mobile machinery industry. Some recommendations are also given in relation to the development of hybrid and electric powertrains for NRMM. The key findings of this research indicate that the electrification of NRMM is slowly started and the progress is demonstrated by hybridization of some specific, successful mobile machines. In short-term, high component and technology development costs remain the main barrier for higher adoption of electric and hybrid powertrains. In the long-term scenario, many NRMM can operate autonomously and powertrain electrification has become mainstream technology.
The technical maturity and rapidly increasing market share of electrified vehicles have given more importance to the cabin thermal management. Efficient thermal management has a key role to maintain adequate electric operating range, protect components from aging and ensure passenger comfort. This research comprehensively reviews the cabin thermal management systems for electrified vehicles. Various vehicle cabin thermal modeling techniques and the key concepts for cabin thermal comfort have been discussed. Different technical and operational solutions of the cabin thermal management in hot and cold climate conditions are evaluated. The recent developments including heat pumps, thermal system control, passive thermal management, and cabin preconditioning to increase thermal management efficiency are analyzed. The results show that increasing amount of research is focusing on improving the thermal efficiency of the individual electrical components and the vehicle level systems. However, new solutions will be required for reducing the cabin thermal load under hot conditions and improving the heating system operational flexibility and efficiency in cold climates.