Caterpillar adding to construction lineup with four electric machines

Cat 950 GC electric medium wheel loader prototype. Photo: Caterpillar

The construction industry is solidly into an energy transition to a lower-carbon future, and Caterpillar is delivering purpose-built solutions to help customers chieve sustainability goals. Four electric Cat machine prototypes, from both medium and compact equipment lines, will be displayed at bauma 2022 Oct. 24 through 30 in Munich, Germany.

The battery-electric machine prototypes include the 301.9 mini excavator, 320

Cat 320 electric medium excavator prototype. Photo: Caterpillar

 medium excavator, 950 GC medium wheel loader and 906 compact wheel loader. The machines are powered by Caterpillar battery prototypes and include an onboard AC charger. The company also plans to offer an offboard DC fast charging option.

“Caterpillar is well positioned to help customers reach their sustainability goals, including lowering emissions on the jobsite,” said Construction Industries Group President Tony Fassino. “It’s important we

Cat 906 electric compact wheel loader. Photo: Caterpillar

meet customers on their sustainability journey today with a variety of solutions including machines that run on renewable fuels or technology that increases fuel efficiency, as well as supporting them into the future as we power our next generation of machines.”

Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems coincidentally announced the development of 48-, 300- and 600-volt batteries for the off-highway equipment industry.

Cat 301.9 electric mini excavator prototype. Photo: Caterpillar

The Caterpillar-designed batteries in these machines will also be available to power other industrial applications. Built on proven Caterpillar technology, the lithium-ion battery range features a modular design that offers flexible configurations across multiple applications. The batteries are engineered to be scalable to industry and customer performance needs and maximize sustainability throughout their lifecycle, including recycling and reuse at the end of life. The company’s development program also includes inverters, motors, electronic controls, digital services and other technologies.

Caterpillar has committed to ensuring that 100% of its new products through 2030 will be more sustainable than the previous generation, which the company has said is reflected in its lineup of industrial-power solutions and integrated services finely tuned for owners of third-party equipment powered by Cat engines.

“Our electrified products leverage our deep system integration experience and are designed to meet the performance expectations that customers have come to expect from Caterpillar,” said Joe Creed, Energy & Transportation Group President. “We’re focused on helping our customers achieve the optimal product and jobsite energy lifecycle, allowing them to maximize value and minimize their total cost of operation.”

The 301.9 and 906 are expected to be the first commercially available models.