Caterpillar unveils prototype batteries for off-highway equipment

As part of the company’s enterprise strategy to support customers during the energy transition to a lower-carbon future, Caterpillar announced the development of 48-volt, 300-volt, and 600-volt batteries for the off-highway industry. The prototypes will be showcased at the Bauma in Munich this month. Leveraging expertise across Caterpillar’s global network of technical centers in the U.S., U.K., China and India, the program focuses initially on battery solutions for equipment used predominantly in industrial applications. 

The battery range uses lithium-ion technology and features a modular design to optimize performance and packaging. Furthermore, they have been engineered with sustainability in mind throughout their lifecycle, with the potential to reuse and recycle at the end of life.

The development program also encompasses inverters, motors, electronic controls, digital services and other critical technologies to deliver the performance, reliability, durability, maintainability, and long-term value needed for equipment buyers working in harsh operating environments.

“Caterpillar has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to sustainability through improvements in our operations and by helping our customers achieve their climate-related goals,” said Steve Ferguson, senior vice president Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems. “Today’s announcement of our battery program is our latest step in combining a wide-ranging inventory of innovations with extensive knowledge of the off-highway industry to offer solutions for a range of power needs, application types, duty cycles and operating environments.”