First Bobcat Electric Excavator Comes Off Production Line

Company Says 2019 Production Run Already Sold Out

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Bobcat has announced that the first of the company’s new E10e zero tail swing (ZTS) 1 tonne battery-powered mini-excavators has come off the production line at the Bobcat compact equipment manufacturing plant at Dobris in the Czech Republic.

Finished at 1:08 pm on 11th July 2019, the first E10e off the line has the Serial Number B4KL11001. It is headed to the Netherlands to the Authorised Bobcat Dealer, Apeldoorn-based Inter-Techno, where it will be used as a demo machine and is available for hire from Inter-Techno’s partner company, 123Machineverhuur.

Doosan Bobcat has chosen the Dobris factory to produce the E10e for all markets worldwide, with the first machines to be sold in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), with North America and then Asian markets to follow. The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Norway are the first to be selected in Europe, in line with research that shows the highest demand is in these countries. Subsequent sales of the E10e in other countries will depend on the readiness of markets, dealers and the demand from customers.

Increasing E10e Production

The E10e is built on the same platform and produced on the same production line as the highly successful diesel-powered E08 and E10z mini-excavators. This line currently has a total capacity of 2000 machines a year and can produce the required mix of diesel and electric models as dictated by actual market demand.

Jarry Fiser, Mini-Excavator Product Line Director, Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said:  “We are very pleased that actual demand is higher than our original expectations and production capacities. We prioritized Bobcat dealers in the Netherlands, the nordic countries, Germany and Austria. These countries have very positive public acceptance of alternative power sources.”

“The E10e is just the start of our journey in further expanding our portfolio in alternative power sources. In essence, all the components in the power train are made to measure and we are still adjusting the processes with our suppliers so that we can increase the production volumes when needed. The 2019 production capacity is already sold out and we are accepting orders for delivery in 2020.”

The Bobcat E10e is the world’s first 1 tonne battery-powered mini-excavator, combining zero emissions, low noise and a width of just 71 cm, allowing it to easily pass through standard doors and in and out of lifts. It is therefore ideal not only for indoor demolition and basement digging, but also many other sites where this type of machine is required such as urban/city centre developments, night-time work and contracts in quiet zones such as hospitals, cemeteries, schools and so on.

The E10e has a state-of-the-art lithium-ion, maintenance-free battery pack with an advanced management system, designed to fit within the standard machine envelope to maintain the machine’s ZTS profile, matching all the parameters and dimensions of the standard diesel-powered E10z mini-excavator. Based on customer studies, Bobcat has optimized the battery pack to provide capacity to match typical work patterns.

The E10e can therefore be operated for up to four hours on one charge. By using an optional external 400V supercharger, it can be recharged to 80% of its capacity in less than two hours. As a result, the E10e can operate throughout a full working day when used with normal work breaks. The battery can also be fully recharged overnight by using the on-board charger from a standard 230 V grid.