Bobcat Charges Ahead with All-Electric Compact Track Loader

Bobcat chose the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week, 5th to 8th January, to showcase the production model of their new T7X compact tracked loader, at what is described as the worlds most influential technology event, and one of the first live shows of 2022.

Doosan Bobcat had already given us a taste of things to come, when during the CONEXPO-CON/AGG show in 2020, just before the world went mad, they displayed the prototype model, then known as the T76e, to wet our appetite for things to come, and now, nearly two years later the full production models are ready and re-designated as the T7X.

Interestingly the new machine uses electric boom and bucket actuation, in addition to electric propulsion of the tracks, which completely eliminates the need for traditional hydraulics on the machine.

Power for the T7X comes via a 62-kW lithium-ion battery which has been developed in conjunction with American technology partner Green Machine Equipment Inc.

The big question we always get asked about these electric machines is how long will they operate for before requiring a charge, and to be honest its one of those “how long is a piece of string” scenarios, it all depends on what the application is and how hard the machine is working.

In this instance Bobcat suggests that each full charge can support common daily work operations, and with the operator selecting intelligent work modes that suit the task in hand, the machine can work continuously for four hours, and up to a full day of operation is possible during intermittent use

The T7X features a power management system which is programmed to sense when loads are increasing and automatically back off power when it’s not needed to further reduce total energy use and extend the machine’s runtime.

As we discover in the video below recorded at the show by our friends at Out of Spec Reviews, the T7X requires virtually no fluids. Only one quart of eco-friendly coolant is required compared to 57 gallons of fluid in the diesel/hydraulic equivalent model.

The TR7 will offer zero emissions at point of use, reduced sound levels, limited vibrations and lower daily operating costs, but one expects the initial purchase price will be significantly higher than its traditional diesel engined counterpart.

We look forward to putting one to the test for Earthmovers Magazine in due course.