Caterpillar has introduced a new electric drive wheel loader which delivers up to 10% more productivity in load-and-carry applications and 25% greater overall efficiency than the 988K model it is based on, the American equipment giant claims.
The new 988K XE is the first Cat wheeled loader to have a high-efficiency electric drive system and the company said it introduced the model to join the 988K and the recently-launched 986K to provide customers with the most cost-effective loader for each application.
Recommending the 988K XE for demanding job sites, a Cat statement said the new model’s fuel efficiency made a difference in its total cost of operation. The new loader features switched reluctance (SR) technology and Cat’s C18 ACERT engine, mechanical dropbox, driveline and axles from the 988K are retained for the electric drive machine.
The company said more than four years of stringent testing in a range of applications had gone into the machine and added that it also had 15 years of experience in electric drive technology.
The 988K XE’s diesel engine provides power to an electric generator, which in turn provides power to the electric motor to drive the machine. Hydraulic pumps driven off the engine power raise and lower the linkage and actuate the bucket.
Cat said that the 988K XE increases efficiency by 25% overall and by up to 49% in face-loading applications, when compared to the 988K, reducing costs and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint. Production studies also show that the new loader delivered up to 10% higher productivity in load-and-carry applications, it added.
The electric drive technology in the 988K XE lowered overall maintenance costs while increasing engine life by up to 3,500 hours, extending time between powertrain rebuilds, Cat said. Powertrain oil use is decreased by 40% on the new machine with extended oil change intervals of 2,000 hours.
The machine comes with a range of bucket capacities, from 4.7 to 13 cubic metres, and its rated standard and high lift payloads are 11.3t when working with face material, and 14.5t with loose material.
