Last year Bobcat introduced the T7X, the world’s first all-electric compact track loader. The company is now expanding its electrification portfolio with the recent introduction of the first all-electric skid-steer loader, the Bobcat S7X, and its new concept track loader, the Bobcat RogueX.
“At Bobcat, we are always pushing the boundaries to explore the next leading advancements that help our customers accomplish more and propel the industry forward,” said Scott Park, Doosan Bobcat CEO and Vice Chairman, speaking at Conexpo 2023. “As an organization, we are committed to innovating for our customers’ needs first and foremost, so that they can become more efficient, more productive and more successful.
“We recognize we need to reduce our carbon emissions. And it’s not just about what we do within our four walls, but how to we enable our customers to be more effective and more environmentally conscious. We’re expanding our line of EVs, moving forward at a pace that is unbelievably fast, and we’ve got a lot more on the drawing board,” said Park.
“It’s all about how were transforming industry, making operations easier, and making our customers more productive,” added Joel Honeyman, Doosan Bobcat Vice President of Global Innovation. “The T7X was introduced not only to signal our commitment and our role in future electrification, but to show how power and performance can also be a part of sustainability. You have to do both to make it a real solution.”
This electrified model has many more capabilities than do diesel-hydraulic versions, according to Bobcat officials. Aside from the obvious benefit of eliminating CO2 exhaust emissions, it runs at ultralow noise levels, has 40% fewer parts, and provides instantaneous power output. Eliminating hydraulics means eliminating the risk of leaks, and therefore, eliminating the potential for downtime. And an all-electric design is a lot more efficient than a diesel-powered hydraulic system.
Like the T7X, the S7X is powered by a 60.5-kWh, lithium-ion battery, features electric drive motors and uses ball-screw actuators for lift and tilt functions. Together, the battery and electrical powertrain generate excellent performance characteristics, with instantaneous torque that is as much as three times greater than traditional loaders, said Bobcat. The powerful loader balances sustainability and performance with zero emissions and is equipped to outperform its diesel-powered equivalent.
This skid-steer loader offers operators a smooth and comfortable experience with minimal vibration and nearly silent operation. The S7X can operate for up to eight hours on a single charge, depending on the application, giving most operators more than a full day’s work when breaks and downtime are considered. A full charge takes approximately 10 hours.
While the company is committing substantial resources in developing these new machines, Honeyman does not envision electrified models totally replacing conventional powertrains anytime soon. Rather, he sees all-electrics and diesel-hydraulics as complementary technologies. “With this design, we’re not using hydraulics. But I’m quick to point out that Bobcat is going to build diesel-hydraulic machines for a very long time. We’re going to do both, because there are customers who want traditional designs, and other customers who want the new technology. But to optimize this platform, it quickly became obvious it was so much easier to remove the hydraulics and optimize the electrified platform.”
And despite some naysayers, the electromechanical actuators hold up well in typical rough, off-road environments, he said. “These machines are just as tough if not tougher than our current designs. The ruggedness is there. We have the ability to have so much more power in these platforms, we’ve actually had to think about overdesign in some areas, just to be certain that the structures can hold up and handle the instant torque and instant power. And there are clearly some significant advantages of electronically controlling the lift and tilt, those aspects on these machines.”
The technology behind the electrified platform has proven to be successful, he said. However, one important limiting factor right now is battery cost. “It’s more expensive today, but as volumes increase and more suppliers come into this industry, it will drive down costs.
“As the inventor of the original skid-steer loader, we are excited to take the machine that created the industry and reinvent it all over again,” said Honeyman. “The S7X is an incredible product with real-world application that can support operators on environmentally sensitive sites, in noise-restricted areas and for indoor operation.”
At this time, the S7X skid-steer loader is being debuted as a prototype machine.
RogueX
Also introduced at Conexpo was the Bobcat RogueX, a next-generation machine that explores the capabilities of electric power, autonomous operation and dual lift-arm geometry. The RogueX combines technologically advanced features to make it a one-of-a-kind conceptual machine that resembles a track loader.
As a research and development project, the machine was built as a proving ground to advance the Bobcat innovation roadmap, evaluate customer perceptions, and test the limits of machine functionality.
“RogueX was concepted with consideration for the worksite of the future and how a customer’s needs may evolve — with a focus on ease of use, remote operations, autonomous functionality, sustainable operations and features that allow operators to accomplish more with one machine,” said Honeyman.
As jobsites change and operators turn to remote operation, Bobcat took its concept further by fully eliminating an operator station. The machine explores the idea of operating where humans cannot go to tackle more work in more places than ever from a remote position.
By building the loader without a cab and using advanced kinematics, RogueX features next-generation unique functionality including both vertical-path and radial-path lift capabilities in one machine. The all-electric and autonomous concept machine produces zero emissions as it features a lithium-ion battery, electric drive system and no hydraulics. RogueX is in the early R&D stage at Bobcat.
Doosan Bobcat
bobcat.com
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