Two years of technical work, 22 contributors, and 74 pages — that is what AGMA 948-A26, Electrified Vehicle Drivetrains, represents.
Published in June 2026, the document provides industry guidance on electrified drivetrains across hybrid electric, battery electric, and plug-in hybrid vehicle types. The applications it covers span passenger vehicles and light trucks, heavy duty and commercial vehicles, construction, agricultural, mining, tracked, and marine propulsion. It is a substantive technical resource, and it was completed faster than anything MPMA has produced at this level of scope.
“Having our first meeting in June 2024 and releasing a 74-page technically reviewed document in June 2026 is unprecedented at MPMA,” said Todd Praneis, VP Technical at MPMA. “The dedication of the individuals involved, along with the support of the member companies to sponsor those individuals, was the key ingredient to producing this information sheet in record time.”
Project leader John O’Neil of Star SU echoed that.
“I was very pleased with the speed at which the group completed this project,” he said. “We felt from the start that it was necessary to move quickly as the technology was evolving.”
Where This Work Came From
AGMA 948-A26 is a direct product of MPMA’s EV Technology Emerging Technology Committee. That committee has been tracking the mechanical implications of vehicle electrification for several years, monitoring how new drivetrain configurations are changing the specifications that gear and bearing manufacturers need to meet. When the committee identified the need for a formal technical resource, the AGMA 948 working group was formed, and the project began. What resulted is now available in the MPMA store and has been distributed to member companies as part of their membership benefits.
The EV Technology Committee continues its work in 2026, with at least two more virtual meetings scheduled before year’s end. The landscape it is monitoring remains active: Consumer demand patterns are shifting; tariff policy is evolving, and advances in battery technology and alternative fuels continue to affect what manufacturers need to plan for.
The Connection to eVTOL
The approach that produced AGMA 948-A26 is the same approach MPMA is now applying to electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. The eVTOL Committee, launched in 2026, is focused on a new class of vehicles that does require meaningful gear and bearing content: the air taxis and larger unmanned aircraft being actively designed and built in the United States. The committee is building a foundational understanding of the technology, the regulatory environment, and the supply chain structure of this industry. The questions it is asking are the same ones the EV committee asked at the outset: What do these vehicles require? Where are the standards gaps? How do gear and bearing manufacturers position themselves in a supply chain that is still forming? AGMA 948-A26 is evidence of what that process can produce.
Five Committees, Five Areas of Focus
The EV Technology and eVTOL committees are two of five Emerging Technology Committees MPMA operates. The Metal 3D Printing Committee tracks advances in additive manufacturing materials and capabilities relevant to gear and bearing producers. The IIoT and AI Committee addresses connected manufacturing, cybersecurity, and AI implementation on the production floor. The Robotics Committee covers both the gear content inside modern robots and the automation opportunities available to member facilities. Each committee meets virtually and will hold at least two more meetings before the end of 2026.
AGMA 948-A26 is available now in the MPMA store. The full committee schedule is at motionpower.org.
Upcoming Courses
Fundamentals of Worm and Crossed Axial Helical Gearing
August 4-6, 2026 | Charlotte, North Carolina
This course is intended to be both an overview of worm and wheel gearing, as well as an introduction to the application, design considerations, practical development techniques for manufacturing, and finally how best to apply worm and wheel technology. We will cover some design development, lubrication considerations, and failure modes and causes.
Essential Concepts of Bearing Technology
August 4-6, 2026 | Charlotte, North Carolina
This course is specially designed for engineers and others with technical backgrounds that have had limited exposure to rolling element bearings and need to adapt their technical training to bearings or seek an upgrade to their technical knowledge. The Essentials Course focuses on understanding basic internal geometry, tribology, bearing attributes, and applications and explores the basic concepts around manufacturing methods, loads, internal load contacts, lubrication, and failure.
Gearbox System Design
August 18-27, 2026 | Online
This course focuses on the supporting elements of a gearbox that allow gears and bearings to do their jobs most efficiently. Learn about seals, lubrication, lubricants, housings, breathers, and other details that go into designing gearbox systems.
How to Read and Interpret a Gear Inspection Report
September 1-2, 2026 | Online
This new and expanded one-day online course is intended to provide a thorough understanding of the attributes of a gear and its design, which are critical to ensure the required operation and function of the gear system as expected. The features and attributes of importance to function of the gear system will be discussed and explained in terms of how to measure and inspect them. We will cover measurement techniques and inspection interpretations as a precursor to the operation of a gear measurement machine (GMM). We will also explore the differences and similarities between a GMM and a coordinate measurement machine (CMM).
Basic Training for Gear Manufacturing
September 28 – October 2, 2026 | Roselle, Illinois
Learn the fundamentals of gear manufacturing in this hands-on course. Gain an understanding of gearing and nomenclature, principles of inspection, gear-manufacturing methods, and hobbing and shaping. Using manual machines, develop a deeper breadth of perspective and understanding of the process and physics of making a gear as well as the ability to apply this knowledge in working with CNC equipment commonly in use.
Gear Materials
October 20-22, 2026 | Wilmington, Delaware
Learn what is required for the design of an optimum gear set and the importance of the coordinated effort of the gear-design engineer, the gear metallurgist, and the bearing system engineer. Investigate gear-related problems, failures, and improved processing procedures.
Lubrication and Wear: Advanced Concepts
October 20-22, 2026 | Wilmington, Delaware
Designed for engineers and scientists in the rolling element bearing, gear, and power transmission industries who desire a more fundamental knowledge of component-relevant topics in the lubrication and wear areas within the field of tribology. The science behind lubrication and wear continues to evolve. This course introduces attendees to important terminology; surface topography measurement, characterization, and application; the mechanics of surfaces in contact; the development of lubricant films; and failure of rolling element bearings. The purpose of this course is to increase relevant technical knowledge and bridge the gap between component design and component failure as a result of relative motion between surfaces in contact.
Advanced Concepts of Bearing Technology
October 26-29, 2026 | Schaumburg, Illinois
This course builds on the foundations of the Essential Course and challenges the experienced engineer in areas such as internal loading and Hertzian stresses, failure initiation criteria, friction and wear, and fatigue life calculation methods. This is an exceptional course for engineers with two to three years of work experience in rolling element bearings or past attendees of the Essential Concepts of Bearing Technology. A general knowledge of the basic bearing types and terminology is required.
Advanced Gear Manufacturing and Metrology
October 27-29, 2026 | Schaumburg, Illinois
This three-day intensive course provides a rigorous, practical foundation in the manufacturing and metrology of precision involute gears. Participants develop a thorough understanding of gear geometry, material and heat treatment selection (as seen through a manufacturing lens), all major soft- and hard-cutting processes, surface integrity, and inspection and metrology.
