CECE and ERA discuss electrification at a joint members meeting

Attendees were welcomed by CECE Secretary General Riccardo Viaggi, after which the plenary session began with impulse statements from both CECE’s High-Level Technical Policy Advisory Group Chairman, Eugen Schobesberger, and ERA’s Technical Committee Chairman, Klavs Otisons. Between the two presentations, members were provided with a comprehensive overview of the benefits and methods of electrification, as well as the obstacles faced by its transition and adoption.

Attendees then heard from two keynote speakers – Jacco de Kluijver, VP Global Business Development at Genie, and Willem Stehouwer, Executive Advisor for Business Development at Toyota Material Handling – on examples, and the pros and cons, of undergoing electrification journeys. The presentations resulted in a lively Q&A session that demonstrated members’ interest in the need for electrification.

Members were subsequently invited on a short but insightful tour of the Komatsu facility, after which they met once again in the boardroom for topical workshops centred on two themes: ‘’Standards & safety’’ and ‘’Enablers & incentives’’. The topics included standard sockets, BMS and protocols, training, data, TCO, and production capacities. Construction equipment OEMs and rental companies engaged in a fruitful dialogue wherein both sides were able to present their concerns and pose questions to each other. Following a debrief on the key takeaways from the workshops, ERA Secretary General Michel Petitjean, then closed the meeting.

CECE thanks ERA for the opportunity and for its help in organising a joint meeting on this key concern for our sector and welcomes further collaboration and engagement on the topic. CECE would also like to thank Komatsu Europe and the team for hosting.