CAT Goes Electric?

Never thought you would see “Caterpillar” and “electric” in the same sentence? If man can fly in a drone, why not power a construction machine electrically?

Caterpillar recently displayed four electric prototype machines at a major equipment show in Germany. They included a mini- and medium-sized excavator, medium-wheel loader, and the 906 compact wheel loader, with the most immediate appeal to farmers. These electric models feature battery prototypes and an AC onboard charger, with an off-board DC fast charger expected to be an option.

The conventional CAT 906 is popular in agriculture today.

Meanwhile, Caterpillar also announced several state-of-the-art technology upgrades, which make existing products anything but your father’s bulldozer. They include a stable blade tilt and lift, blade load monitor, improved AutoCarry feature, and low-slip traction control. 

EDITOR’S TAKE:

While not a totally surprising move by CAT given the current push for EV’s, it is still difficult to appreciate how this might work in a remote mining or forestry area. Nevertheless, CAT is moving forward with prototypes and plans to commercialize these electric models. It will be interesting to follow the progress and see if this action gains widespread acceptance. In the meantime, however, other technological advancements to current models do make a great deal of sense and have immediate, practical application. Speaking of practical, what can be more practical and useful to a farmer/rancher today than lowering their tax burden. Of course, you have a solution! By purchasing or leasing a new or qualified pre-owned truck from your dealership, the farmer/rancher is able to use section 179 of the tax code to rapidly depreciate that asset. At the same time, you are able to provide them tremendous savings by offering up to $30,000 in exclusive rebates and discounts through AgPack®. That is precisely why we encourage you to always ask a customer – “Are you by chance a farmer or rancher”?