BOBCAT has launched two new concept machines at CONEXPO 2023.
Following the 2022 release of the Bobcat T7X, hailed as the world’s first all-electric compact track loader, Bobcat has now showcased what it describes as the world’s first all-electric skid-steer loader, the Bobcat S7X.
The S7X is all-electric and powered by a 60.5-kWh, lithium-ion battery. It features electric drive motors and utilises ball screw actuators for lift and tilt functions.
The battery and electrical powertrain generate instantaneous torque said to be as much as three times greater than traditional loaders. The S7X can operate for up to eight hours on a single charge depending on the application. A full charge takes approximately ten hours.
“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 Joel Honeyman, Doosan Bobcat VP of global innovation. “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.”
Currently, the S7X skid-steer loader is being debuted as a prototype machine.
Bobcat has also launched RogueX, a next-generation concept machine that explores the capabilities of electric power, autonomous operation and dual lift-arm geometry.
While most closely resembling a track loader, the manufacturer said the machine is in a ‘league of its own’. As a research and development project, the model was built as a proving ground to advance the Bobcat innovation roadmap, evaluate customer perceptions and test the limits of 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 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 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 functionality including both vertical-path and radial-path lift capabilities in one machine.
RogueX is in the early research and development stage.
