CEO Ian Foley on the Future of Electrification in 2026

Ian Foley, Equipmake CEO:

Looking ahead through 2026 and beyond, our teams at Equipmake are seeing a clear shift in how fleet operators and OEMs evaluate electrification. The focus is moving beyond headline specifications toward systems that are engineered around real duty cycles, capable of delivering continuous performance under load while maintaining thermal stability, functional safety and long-term durability.

Developing and manufacturing EV systems in the UK enables a level of integration that is increasingly critical for heavy-duty and specialist fleets. When motors, inverters, power electronics and vehicle controls are designed as a single, cohesive system rather than assembled from disconnected components, the result is greater efficiency, robustness and reliability in service.

It also allows faster development cycles and a more responsive approach to in-service feedback, upgrades and regulatory change – an advantage that becomes more pronounced as fleets plan for operating lives measured in decades, not product cycles.

Supply-chain resilience and lifecycle support are now central considerations in fleet procurement, particularly as electrified vehicles become core operational assets. UK-based engineering and manufacturing provide confidence in availability and support, but also in compliance, with safety, EMC and certification requirements embedded into system design from the outset rather than addressed retrospectively.

Electrification is moving deeper into off-highway, heavy-duty and specialist applications, and so the conversation is changing. Performance under sustained load, reliability in harsh environments and clear engineering accountability across the full system lifecycle are becoming decisive factors.

This is where vertically integrated, UK-based capability makes a measurable difference.

Our work across complex hybrid and electric powertrain programmes continues to reinforce how successful fleet electrification is, first and foremost, a systems-engineering challenge.

In 2026, the fleets that succeed will be the ones that choose the right engineering partners to deliver it properly.