MUNICH—Caterpillar Inc. unveiled four prototype battery-powered construction machines at the Bauma trade show here. The products included the 301.9 mini excavator, 320 medium excavator, 950 GC medium wheel loader and 906 compact wheel loader.
Each machine uses lithium-ion batteries developed by Caterpillar engineers. They also include onboard AC chargers, but the company eventually plans to offer an offboard DC fast-charging option.
“[We are] well positioned to help customers reach their sustainability goals, including lowering emissions on the jobsite,” says Tony Fassino, construction industries group president at Caterpillar. “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.”
The 301.9 and 906 are expected to be the first commercially available models.