Sunbelt loads up with electric Bobcats
18 January 2022
Sunbelt Rentals has invested significantly in Bobcat’s newly launched T7X all-electric compact track loader for its fleet, which will be co-branded and made available to the hirer's North American customers this year.
Doosan Bobcat unveiled the T7X at the CES 2022 consumer technology event held this month in Las Vegas.
Sunbelt Rentals, which has also added Bobcat electric mini excavators to its fleet, is the first national hire company to adopt the manufacturer’s battery-electric technology and will help customers meet their environmental, social and governance (ESG) obligations.
The T7X is claimed to be the world's first all-electric compact track loader. Fitted with a 62kW battery from Green Machine Equipment, Inc, the 5528kg machine is said to offer greater torque and more power than an equivalent diesel model.
The traditional hydraulic work group has been replaced with electric cylinders and electric drive motors, which means that virtually no fluids are required. The machine uses just under one litre of eco-friendly coolant compared to around 216 litres of fluid overall in its diesel/hydraulic equivalent.
The T7X operates with zero emissions and reduced levels of noise and vibration, making its suitable for work in noise sensitive areas and indoors. Bobcat says that the battery typically provides power for up to four hours of continuous operation, or for a full day's intermittent use.
The power management system is programmed to sense when loads are increasing, automatically reducing power when not needed.
Commenting on future plans for introducing the machine in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, Vijay Nerva, head of innovation at Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “The T7X has been developed for the North American market for now but it addresses a global need and challenge.
“We plan to undergo internal testing and gather customer feedback in various countries in the EMEA region this year to better understand customer needs in this market before taking commercial decisions,” he added.
● A blog post on the site yesterday reported on Sunbelt Rentals' positive views about future market trends for hire.
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