The construction industry converged in Munich last week for the Bauma 2022 convention. The show attracted more than 495,000 visitors from over 200 countries. Ritchie Bros. was there with a packed program of events with a line-up of speakers to help visitors gain insights in the latest trends and technology in equipment management.
But when it comes to the OEMs in the construction industry, everyone looks to Caterpillar Inc. for what comes next. German Cat dealer Zeppelin was in attendance to unveil four new electric prototype machines: a 20-tonne 320 medium electric excavator, a 950 GC medium electric wheeled loader, a 301.9 electric compact excavator, and a 906 electric compact wheeled loader.
The construction machines are powered by Caterpillar-designed battery prototypes and include an on-board AC charger. The batteries will also be available to power other industrial applications.
“Caterpillar is well positioned to help customers reach their sustainability goals, including lowering emissions on the jobsite,” said Construction Industries Group President Tony Fassino in a press release. “It’s important we 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.”
Battery-powered construction machines have up until this point been mostly confined to compact equipment, but the 20-tonne electric excavator showed the potential for full electric to go bigger. Cat’s two compact models are expected to hit the market in 2024, but those wanting the excavator and wheeled loader will have to wait, as no release date was provided.