The transition to battery power on the job site is seemingly inevitable, but in the US, hazardous material classifications were relatively strict for commercial-sized operations. For contractors actually hauling gear, the logistics themselves have been strangling adoption. When scaling up, portable power stations may have seen some unwittingly classified as hazardous materials transporters.
A long-awaited regulatory update from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), part of the Department of Transport (DOT), is fixing a bottleneck with a 16-part rulemaking change.
The regulation update, known HM-268A through HM-268P, was published as the set of 16 changes earlier this month by PHMSA/DOT, with most changes taking effect on September 3, 2026.
While the rules modernize many types of freight regulations, the standout for the battery sector is the new HM-268C, which focuses on weight classifications for lithium-ion batteries.
A previous bottleneck was at the 200 kilograms or 440 pounds scale, which was the outdated limit the industry bumped up against. Previously, lithium batteries were treated under the general limitations for any Class 9 hazardous material under the Materials of Trade (MOT) exceptions. For a service technician or contractor, the limits were restrictive, and the total gross weight of all hazardous materials on a single motor vehicle could not exceed 200 kg (440 pounds), meaning it was shared with other hazardous materials that may accompany a worker on a truck, such as fuel or paint. The weight of the entire device, such as an electric lawnmower, may have also counted toward the aggregate limit if the battery was installed.
The Portable Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA) petitioned for the change, a group including companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Toyota, covering all manner of devices and technology, small and large.
Unlocking trades and portable power
The new HM-268C rule carves out a much-needed exception, effectively treating mid-sized lithium batteries as tools of the trade rather than strictly regulated hazardous freight.
The update expands the vehicle aggregate limit specifically for lithium batteries, raising it to 500 kg (1,102 pounds), effectively meaning several portable power stations or commercial replacement batteries in a standard work truck can now be carried without triggering heavy freight regulations and documentation, or the need for drivers with Hazmat endorsements.
On an individual level, workers can transport spare batteries weighing up to 30 kg (66 pounds) each. And, in another win for practical applications, the weight of batteries that are already securely installed in equipment is exempted and no longer counts toward the per vehicle cap.
The rules relax packaging requirements as well, and if spare batteries are securely fastened in the vehicle to prevent movement and potential damage, outer packaging is no longer strictly necessary.
Catalyst amid new headwinds
For the broader battery industry, the implications extend beyond compliance. The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) notes the update will generate a projected $14.4 million in annualized savings for trades like construction, landscaping, and entertainment. But more importantly, it removes major psychological and administrative barriers to electrification, with the effective green light potentially driving many times more on that figure across positives from switching from fuels to electricity.
However, the US faces challenges from other directions. Last week, the US FCC blocked new foreign-made inverters that are used in batteries from certification, effectively banning most non-domestic brands from presenting new products. Existing products already certified remain on the market. A large portion of the portable battery market, from leading brands like Anker Solix, Bluetti, EcoFlow, and Jackery, is manufactured in China and other foreign nations.
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