Bell ADTs at BAUMA 2025: Always in a class of their own!

• Bell Equipment will showcase its flagship 6x6 model, the Bell B50E, and the 20-ton Bell B20E LGP at BAUMA 2025.

• The Bell B50E features a Mercedes-Benz in-line six-cylinder engine with 430 kW at 1600 rpm, offering superior driving performance.

• The B50E includes advanced features such as adaptive Comfort Ride front suspension, Hill Assist, Tip Safe, and Bell Fleetmatic® for real-time tracking and machine health management.

• All Bell E-series ADTs are now built PDS/CAS-ready, facilitating integration with pedestrian detection and collision avoidance systems.

• Bell Equipment promotes direct communication between specialist suppliers and end customers for autonomous driving solutions, ensuring quick integration into various autonomous or remote systems.

Twenty-one years after the world's first 50-ton articulated dump truck (ADT) debuted at the same venue, Bell Equipment is once again proudly showcasing its flagship 6x6 model, the Bell B50E, at BAUMA. Demonstrating its capabilities, it will be joined by the 20-ton Bell B20E LGP, which, at the opposite end of the size scale, reaffirms the Bell E-series as the largest and most comprehensive ADT range on the global market.

The legend lives on

Bell Equipment Product Manager, Brad Castle, says: “Our 50-tonner concept is a great example of our company’s passion for innovation and ability to respond to customer needs. The development of the B50D, in the early 2000s, was driven largely by increased operating costs in the market and, having the largest payload of any ADT on the market at that time gave customers a unique solution: being able to transport a higher payload for marginally more fuel and with less operators required per ton of material moved. The reasoning behind the concept remains as valid today, and the B50E has really come of age as a high performing product, showing pleasing product maturity and longevity.”

When the B50D was released for worldwide sale at BAUMA 2004, it set a new benchmark with its industry-leading power and power-to-weight ratio. It also offered the best standard feature offering on the market, which included onboard weighing and the Bell proprietary telematics system, Fleetm@tic®.

“The new E-series generation model, introduced to the market in 2016, has continued to build on these strengths through Bell Equipment’s continuous evolution philosophy,” says Brad. This starts with the engine power and the power-to-weight ratio of the vehicle, which weighs around 35.9 t empty with a payload of 45.4 t. The B50E’s in-line six-cylinder engine from Mercedes-Benz develops 430 kW at 1600 rpm. With 5.29 kW/t unladen and 11.98 kW/t laden, these are class-leading figures, which translate into superior driving performance.

“The Alison 4800 ORS seven-speed automatic transmission with self-calibrating FuelSense® 2.0 technology uses algorithms to adapt variable shift points to the route and load profile. This supports optimum power delivery and low fuel consumption even under full load,” he adds.

In terms of standard features, the list has grown to include the adaptive Comfort Ride front suspension. Based on real-time data collected by the standard on-board scales and other sensors, the electronically controlled struts automatically adjust the spring characteristics and body level to the current payload and driving situation to enhance ride comfort and significantly reduce typical workplace stresses.

“The B50E, like the rest of the range, is loaded with safety and driving assistance features such as Hill Assist, Tip Safe, downhill braking control, and automatic traction control. We also have auto grease systems, rearview camera, onboard diagnostics, and Bell Fleetmatic®, which itself as evolved to provide pole-to-pole coverage and real-time tracking, giving customers the ultimate tool for asset, production, and machine health management.”

Integration with ease

Most progressive is the E-series technology platform whereby all Bell E-series ADTs are now built PDS/CAS-ready, i.e. they have a corresponding gateway interface (ISO 21815-2) for level 9 pedestrian detection system (PDS) / collision avoidance systems (CAS).

Bell Equipment also advocates direct communication between specialist suppliers and end customers when it comes to the topical issue of autonomous driving. "There is already a wide range of systems available that are best suited to individual regions, company sizes or operational requirements. As a machine supplier, we see it as our responsibility to give our customers the greatest possible freedom. We have been working intensively with a wide range of suppliers for many years, which now enables us to integrate our vehicles very quickly into fully or semi-autonomous or even remote systems via the appropriate interfaces," says Brad Castle, explaining Bell's strategy and inviting interested customers to an intensive exchange of information at the forthcoming BAUMA.