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Electric Bobcat Track Loader
Imagine autonomously cleaning out a poultry barn with an electric track loader without a cab or driver. Minimal noise, zero emissions, and very little labor. Visitors got a glimpse of that possibility at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction trade show with Bobcat’s RogueX.
Though some visitors were ready to order one, it’s only a concept machine to show what’s possible, and it won’t be on the market anytime soon, says Joel Honeyman, Doosan Bobcat vice president of global innovation.
Bobcat does have a new electric option, however. The Bobcat T7X all-electric compact track loader is being introduced with a limited launch through Sunbelt Rentals for customers to rent, mainly in California, to meet government mandates. It weighs more than 10,000 lbs. and is comparable to a medium-large compact machine, such as the Bobcat T76, a diesel-hydraulic compact track loader.
“It has lots of power that feels more powerful than diesel because it’s instantaneous,” Honeyman says, noting that the machine’s responsiveness, minimal vibration, and quiet operation astounds people.
“There are a lot of requests for lower noise machines in urban settings and indoor applications such as livestock barns, transfer stations, etc.,” he says.
With the technology, extra features can be added, such as bucket shake to remove material or 100 percent power to move through difficult areas.
“There’s no idle on electric machines, so you’re only consuming energy when you’re operating the joysticks,” Honeyman says. The 60.5-kWh, lithium-ion battery lasts about 4 hrs., which is equivalent to most working days excluding idle time. The battery takes 10 hrs. to recharge with a Class 2 plug and 220 outlet. Without fuel, hydraulics, filters, etc., the operating cost of the electric machine is 90 percent less than its diesel-hydraulic equivalent.
In its early stages, the initial cost of the all-electric track loader is two to three times higher than a diesel equivalent. With supply chain challenges and a lack of electric grid infrastructure, it’ll likely be years before electric compact equipment like the T7X becomes more common. A skid-steer loader version, the Bobcat S7X, is also getting closer to production.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bobcat (www.bobcat.com).


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2023 - Volume #47, Issue #4