At this year’s Bobcat Demo Days, customers, dealers and press from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) witnessed the latest solutions that Bobcat has to offer
Demo Days 2023 provided an industry unique opportunity to try out the full range of Bobcat wheeled and tracked loaders, mini-excavators, telehandlers, light compaction products and attachments in working conditions. In addition to this lineup, the company also showed how the recently acquired Doosan industrial Vehicle forklifts and Doosan Portable Power products will look in Bobcat white and orange branding.
Front and centre of the event was the smaller and larger sized wheel loader models, developed in line with Bobcat’s commitment to become a compact wheel loader full liner in the near future.
The new L95 compact wheel loader will be the next addition to the Bobcat wheel loader line-up, following on from the L85 machine launched in 2021. The L95 is powered by a Bobcat 75 HP engine and offers a top speed of 40 km/h and an increased lift capacity.
Like the L85, there are multiple Bobcat loader attachments approved for use on the L95. These include a 1.0 cu/m general purpose bucket and a 1.5 cu/m light material bucket and new grapple bucket and tines attachments for agriculture. Other new features include an air-ride heated seat; DAB+ radio with phone connectivity and improved automatic ride control, high flow and quick tach systems.
At the show, Bobcat took the opportunity to test market interest with two new wheel loader concepts in the form of the L40 and L35. The former weighs less than 2.5 tonnes and is designed as a powerful load and carry, application-focused machine. Simple, robust and easy to operate, the L40 is designed for heavy duty applications such as road maintenance and constriction.
The L35 represents a new small articulated loader conecept machine that is an extension of the existing portfolio to cover the market segment for high permance machines which are easy to transport on a trailer. The machine weight is again below 2.5 tonnes, which allows easy transportation and a high lift capacity. The engine power on the L35 is 57 HP, which allows for higher travel speeds and pushing power. The L35 is designed to be a tool carrier machine with high hydraulic power available for demanding attachments such as snow blowers, sweepers or angle brooms and it is equipped with a telescopic boom as standard to ensure a higher working range.
"With the new L95 loader and the smaller wheeled loader concepts, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to offer the most complete loader portfolio in the world. Demo Days also provides our dealers and customers with an exclusive first look at the new L35 and L40 concept machines that enables them to participate in the development process as well as provide us with their valued assessments and feedback,“ commented Jaroslav Fiser, product line director loaders for Doosan Bobcat EMEA.
A broad portfolio
Across the full run time of Demo Days, Bobcat blended established products with new developments. For instance, the T86 compact track loader was presented in a forestry application that demonstrated the Super Flow function by equipping the machine with the new XT FRC extra torque forestry cutter. Supplied as a plug and play solution, the new forestry cutter with 2 m width is perfect for mulching tree sections into smaller chips.
The XT FRC can even operate below grade to process mulch into the soil. Despite the power of the attachment, the compact size and manoeuvrability of the T86 allow the operator to easily move between trees and surgically cut only the damaged/unwanted tree sections.
Like the T7X, the world’s first all-electric compact track loader unveiled last year, the S7X prototype is all electric, as it is powered by a 60.5-kWh, lithium-ion battery, features electric drive motors and utilises ball screw actuators for lift and tilt functions.
Together, the battery and electrical powertrain generate incredible performance characteristics, with instantaneous torque that is as much as three times greater than traditional loaders. The powerful loader balances sustainability and performance with zero emissions and is equipped to outperform its diesel-powered equivalent.
This electric solution was joined by the Bobcat E35z electro-hydraulic mini-excavator in combination for the first time with the company’s MaxControl remote operation system. Bobcat MaxControl enables operators to control their Bobcat excavator from outside of the cab at a variety of distances using their iPhone to maximise versatility on the jobsite.
Another key highlight of the show was the Bobcat MaxControl Remote Operation, providing convenient, easily accessible remote-control operation using an app on an iPhone. Bobcat has combined MaxControl with the universal Razer Kishi mobile gaming controller designed to bring console-level comfort in controlling the machine.
This innovation was joined by the T-OLED touchscreen. Mounted on a compact loader, the tool is an advance in transparent display technology developed together with LG that gives operators the ability to touch and customise their user interface with smart widgets and interactive applications. This transparent, multifunction set-up, delivers jobsite-specific data, providing vital information and machine insights for users in real-time. Thanks to its transparent nature, operators can simply refocus their vision to see everything that is going on around them on site.
This formidable display of the company’s portfolio was a true representation of the significant growth it has achieved in the past five years. Notably within this period, Doosan Bobcat recently announced a new global branding strategy to create business and growth opportunities for the Bobcat product portfolio. This initiative includes rebranding of the product offering of Doosan Industrial Vehicle (DIV), a supplier of quality material handling equipment, including forklifts and Doosan Portable Power (DPP), an industry-leading global manufacturer of air compressors, mobile generators and light towers under the Bobcat brand.
At Demo Days 2023, visitors saw the first products with new Bobcat trade dress that will enter the market in the near future.
