In some fields, the first or the most commonplace product to market gets to have its name known across the world as the synonym of a product it makes. One such example is the Bobcat, which has become synonymous with skid-steer loaders and small front loaders in general. They made an EV and revealed it at the 2022 CES.
To be accurate, the Bobcat company is now a subsidiary of the Doosan Group and now goes by the name Doosan Bobcat. Regardless of the name, they just revealed the all-new T7X Compact track loader, which is described as the world's first all-electric compact track loader.
The new loader comes with a 62-kWh battery, and its creators say that it has enough power to last a whole day on a worksite. Since this is all-electric, it does without any hydraulics, which is an essential element of this type of vehicle. Its makers say that operators will no longer have to wait for the system to build up power and that it eliminates all fuel and hydraulic costs.
Instead of having to maintain the hydraulic system, its operator does not have to do anything to the Doosan Bobcat T7X. So, instead of requiring gallons of fluid to operate (diesel and hydraulic fluid), it just needs one quart (ca. 0.94 liters) of eco-friendly coolant in its system.
Since it no longer has an internal-combustion engine, there are no on-site emissions, which is a plus in warehouses that do not have good ventilation.
Doosan Bobcat estimates four hours of continuous operation or a full day of work with intermittent use, which is more common. In the case of the latter, starting it up and waiting for the hydraulic system to reach its full power again will be a distant memory, but some construction sites that operate these front loaders on multiple shifts may have to stick to the old technology instead.
The T7X has been fitted with a power management system that senses the loads that are placed on it and can automatically adjust power to help preserve battery life. An important aspect of the elimination of hydraulics is that this frontal loader is not compatible with existing attachments.
With that in mind, Doosan Bobcat has developed a range of all-electric attachments for it, from an auger and an angle broom to a grapple. This seems like the beginning of a larger range, which will depend on customer requirements.
With that in mind, Doosan Bobcat has already announced it has signed a deal with its first customer for the T7x, Sunbelt Rentals. The latter has over 1,025 locations in North America and has committed to what has been described as "a significant investment in a large fleet." The latter will be available to customers this year.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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