Cat to Kick Off Centennial Celebration with Hybrid Retrofit Loader at CES

Caterpillar is kicking off a yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary at CES 2025, complete with a look back at its last century in business and an exploration of what’s in store for the future.

The company’s exhibit, “The Next 100 Years: Experience What’s Possible,” will focus on electrified jobsite, remote operation and diagnostics solutions, and a Caterpillar legacy experience called the “Centennial Corridor.”

“Caterpillar was founded in 1925 with an innovative spirit, aimed at helping our customers overcome practical problems and challenges. Over the past 100 years, the company has built on a revolutionary legacy — creating industry-leading products, technologies, services and solutions,” said Rob Hoenes, senior vice president of Caterpillar’s Electrification + Energy Solutions division.

Hybrid Retrofit 972 Wheel Loader

Taking center stage in the booth is a 55,000-pound 972 wheel loader featuring an Extended Range Electrified Machine hybrid retrofit that gives the machine performance similar to that of a diesel machine and does not require DC charging.

According to Cat, the retrofit could eliminate the need for additional electrical infrastructure at jobsites. The machine can be charged overnight on a regular utility grid connection at 240V, making it an option for customers looking to lower emissions, but not ready to go all-in on battery electric.

The hybrid retrofit 972 be driven on 100% zero emission battery power for several hours. For extended operation, the machine can operate on hybrid mode with electricity generated from an onboard gen set.

Cat says the technical demonstrator will showcase how machines nearing end-of-life can be rebuilt and repowered in a way that allows them to function as part of a reduced-carbon future.

“What sets this demonstrator apart from other Cat battery electric machines is an additional power source,” said Rob Janssen, vice president and general manager of Cat’s Electrification + Energy Solutions division. “In this case, it’s a conventional diesel generator running AC power to a rectifier, which converts energy from AC to DC. The energy created is used to charge the battery, drive the machine or both.”

Jobsite of the Future

Visitors to the Caterpillar exhibit will also experience a virtual jobsite of the future showcasing examples of the infrastructure required to support electrified jobsites and varying charging schedules.

Key technologies featured in the exhibit:

• Cat Command: Attendees can operate Cat machines physically working at the Caterpillar Tinaja Hills Demonstration and Learning Center in Green Valley, Arizona, 445 miles away.
• VisionLink: Customers of all sizes can see how the cloud-based software delivers fleet performance data to a desktop or mobile device to help them make informed decisions about performance to improve productivity.

“Our industry-leading digital capabilities convey a distinct competitive advantage. Our customers have autonomous haul trucks working 24/7 around the world and have moved nearly 9 billion metric tons,” Hoenes added. “We also offer autonomous dozers, drills, wheel loaders and compactors. Our customers are using these technologies to increase the efficiency, output, safety — and ultimately, the value — of their operations.”

CES will be held January 7 – 10, 2025, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Caterpillar exhibit is in the center’s West Hall, booth #6416.