Bobcat - Compact excavator with electric drive

There are more and more reports of wolves and bears returning to Germany - but did you know that the bobcat in particular is conquering the cities? To prevent this from happening with too many pollutant emissions, the Bobcat will also be available with an electric drive in the future. A prototype of the compact excavator can be seen and barely heard at bauma 2016. See for yourself!

Compact excavator with electric drive from Bobcat

Everyone in the construction industry knows a Bobcat. This here is a Bobcat. This cute little compact excavator, but the Bobcat company that makes it can do a whole lot more. And that's pretty interesting - I'm going to take a look at it now! Klas Bömecke: Mr. Kappus, Bobcat is the name of your company, isn't it? René Kappus: Yes, of course! Bobcat stands for small, agile and powerful. Our logo, the wildcat, expresses this. The wildcat is at home in North America and means turning on the spot at full speed and then turning back again. And we do more or less the same with our machines.

Klas Bömecke: Because they are so small and maneuverable. Now the colleague behind us has been dredging the whole time and I can't hear a thing. René Kappus: Yes, that's sensational! But that will become more or less standard in many German cities in a few years' time. We have given it some thought. What are we doing for the future? And we decided to equip our excavators with an electric drive in the future too. In other words, the machine we see behind us here is currently a 1-ton excavator - a prototype, we have to say. It works with a battery, so it is completely independent of the power grid. However, it can also work together in longer-term use in conjunction with a power connection. Can be charged in a very short time: If we have 400 volts available, in one hour - if we have 220 volts available, as with any household, recharged in 2 hours. We can currently work for several hours with the battery. Cities are already reducing the emission levels of the machines they allow in. This will become more stringent over the next few years. So this is also an advantage for customers who really have to work on projects on public holidays or Sundays in the city. They won't have a problem with it, because I think the noise level is less than any moped we hear on the street, maybe even a passing bicycle. Great story for the future. Our job as a manufacturer is now to prepare the machine for series production so that we can go into series production in one and a half to two years at the latest. Klas Bömecke: I think that puts you pretty far ahead, because I haven't seen that from other manufacturers here at Bauma. René Kappus: Yes, I would say... of course, we are perhaps one step ahead of our competitors at the moment. Klas Bömecke: On the subject of Bauma, I mean of course all the competition is concentrated here in one place. Is that more of an advantage for you or is it difficult to find your niche there?

René Kappus: No, we see it from the customer's point of view. It is simply the ideal trade fair for the customer. It is the world's largest construction machinery trade fair. We can't find anything bigger. In any case, Bauma is always the highlight for us personally. Anyone who is at home in the construction machinery business - has been for a long time - will say that Bauma is always the highlight every three years. There is no better and bigger trade fair and we are always eager to be there and are looking forward to hopefully more beautiful, successful days. Klas Bömecke: Yes, I wish you that. Thank you first of all. I'd like to have a chat with your colleague over there, because you don't just have the mini excavators with you. René Kappus: We have a lot more. Even machines that can lift much higher. Klas Bömecke: I'll go over there! Thank you, Mr. Kappus.

Telehandler with unique leveling system

Klas Bömecke: Hello Mr. Nagel, you are the specialist for telescopic handlers, right? Andreas Nagel: That's right. At Bobcat, yes. Klas Bömecke: It's already running. What's so great about your telehandlers? Andreas Nagel: First of all, it has to be said that we at Bobcat are the first telehandler manufacturer to offer a 3-year warranty on all our machines as standard. Klas Bömecke: And if I look over your shoulder a little. Tell me, do you build leaning excavators?

Andreas Nagel: Yes (laughs) you might think so. Klas Bömecke: That's not exactly the case here! Andreas Nagel: That's simply because it's a very unique leveling system. We are the only manufacturer that can move the uppercarriage completely independently of the axle. Firstly for a certain slope compensation, if the ground is sloping, so that I can transport the maximum load upwards, the machine should be as straight as possible. Or secondly, if I have extended the telescopic handler to the top and notice in the application that I have missed my loading hatch by 10, 20, 30 centimetres, I can simply move the truck into the correct position with this lateral shift and still unload the pallet or whatever correctly. Klas Bömecke: And if it's crooked down here, then it's not crooked up here when the telescope is extended? Andreas Nagel: Yes, it does - it moves with the inclination of the machine. But that's not a problem. We have an electronically controlled load cut-off system. I can only move the machine as far as it will safely go. And with this system, we can move the pallet up to 1.35 meters from left to right when it is fully extended - this machine goes up to 18 meters. Shall we show you?

Klas Bömecke: Yes, please! Machine extends the telescopic pole with the pallet at full speed Klas Bömecke: That's some real power at work! That's a real eye-catcher! Andreas Nagel: Yes, we still have several eye-catchers at Bobcat. Several special features. Klas Bömecke: I'll have a look around. Thank you very much for the insight Mr. Nagel. Andreas Nagel: With pleasure. Klas Bömecke: Until then, have a great trade fair!

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