Sign In
Welcome! Sign In to personalize your Cat.com experience
If you already have an existing account with another Cat App, you can use the same account to sign in here
Register Now
One Account. All of Cat.
Your Caterpillar account is the single account you use to log in to select services and applications we offer. Shop for parts and machines online, manage your fleet, go mobile, and more.
Account Information
Site Settings
Security
50 Million Hours of Electric Drive Success
A Look at Cat® Electric Drivetrains Past, Present and Future
By Brian Dershem, Vice President and General Manager of Caterpillar Inc.
Many of us think of electrification as a relatively recent trend. After all, it’s been less than 30 years since the launch of the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle (Toyota Prius) and just 15 since the debut of the first mass-market EV (Nissan Leaf). The fact is, from the mid-1990s through today, nearly 9,000 Cat® products with electric drivetrains have been working on customer sites. In 2024, that equipment topped 50 million hours of operation, which is equivalent to 5,704 years.
50 million is a big number… but is it important?
The total number of hours doesn’t really matter — although it’s a fun milestone to celebrate. What counts is the experience behind those hours, and what we’ve learned from it.
Electric drivetrains debuted on Cat tethered excavators and rope shovels in the 1990s. In 2009, we brought the technology to the construction industry with the launch of the D7E dozer and its advanced electric drive powertrain. Nine years later came the D6 XE, the world’s first high-drive electric drive dozer. On the mining side, we introduced diesel-electric drivetrains in our Ultraclass Large Mining Trucks in 2011, and recently stepped into battery electric with the R1700 XE LHD, a zero-exhaust-emission underground loader with the industry’s only onboard battery, in 2021.
In 2022, we unveiled four additional models: the 301.9 mini excavator, 906 compact wheel loader, 320 medium excavator and 950 GC medium wheel loader. In the last two years, we’ve completed our first phase of development with the launch of the 301.9 and 906, with more to come. In addition, we announced the Dynamic Energy Transfer (DET) at MINEXpo in September to enable our diesel electric fleets. And at CES 2025, we’ll reveal our hybrid battery electric drive technology as a means to highlight Caterpillar’s commitment to sustainable solutions and our rebuild capabilities.
It’s been a long journey, and we’re nowhere near our destination yet. But each step we take builds on the one before. We gather feedback from customers, analyze data from the field and continue to refine our core components and integrate electric drive into our total equipment and site solutions. As a result, every generation of electric drive equipment is more efficient and more durable than the one before.
Today, electric drivetrains power 27 Cat equipment models across six different product lines — serving customers working in applications as diverse as landscaping, construction, mining and more.
No one-size-fits-all drivetrains here
Caterpillar has a long history of addressing customer challenges — that’s what has driven the development of our electric drivetrains since day one. Our customers use our equipment in many different ways. They operate in diverse climates and terrains, and they face unique challenges and requirements. It’s a very different landscape than what you’ll find in the automotive industry.
Consider small contractors who own just one or two machines. They may run equipment only a few hours each day or week, moving it from site to site to site. Some may have easy access to power — they might be able to leave a machine on site overnight plugged into a standard 110V outlet.
Now compare that to operations on the other end of the continuum: mining. They work on big, permanent sites with large fleets of equipment often running 24/7/365 — sometimes for decades at a time. Their daily power needs are high, but they also have the resources to invest in onsite energy infrastructure to meet them.
Does the same electrified solution make sense for these very different operations — or for those who fall somewhere in between?
A range of solutions for a range of applications
There are lots of clever ways to distribute power. Our goal is to select the solution that delivers the best efficiency and durability in each application. That’s why you won’t find the same electric drivetrain on every piece of Cat equipment. For example:
- Our D6 XE diesel electric dozer features an engine-driven generator that powers a traction drive motor, with steering supplied by a hydraulic differential. This innovative system delivers up to 35% higher production efficiency with simpler operation and reduces service and maintenance costs.
- Cat battery electric excavators use a single electric motor that drives the hydraulic system — distributing power to the undercarriage and the controls for the boom, stick and bucket.
- Our battery electric wheel loaders employ a two-motor system. One central motor drives the axles, and the other motor powers all the implements and accessories.
- We have experience with electrification of third-party products as well, including a Cat® battery powered powertrain prototype for nut harvesting equipment.
As we continue to expand electric drivetrains across more of our products, we may apply similar solutions where it creates customer value. Technologies continue to evolve, as do our customers’ needs, and we’re committed to evolving with them — building on our 50 million hours of experience (and counting) as we navigate the energy transition together.
Want to learn more about Caterpillar’s electric drivetrain solutions — past, present and future? Visit our booth (#6416) at CES 2025 to meet Brian and other technical experts.
About the Author
Brian Dershem is a vice president and general manager of Caterpillar Inc. with responsibility for machine system integration and ePowertrain development in the Electrification and Energy Solutions Division (E+ES). In this capacity, Brian oversees the company’s efforts to deliver advanced electrified powertrains, high voltage systems, analysis methods and software controls for zero exhaust emission products and technologies. The E+ES division collaborates with other Caterpillar divisions to define product architectures that accommodate multiple power sources and drivetrains.
Brian previously served as chief engineer for Caterpillar medium wheel loaders (950-982) in the Earthmoving Division where he had responsibility for development of the Construction Industries segment electrification strategy including early development of zero exhaust emission machines. He also previously served as chief engineer for the compact loader families of skid steer, compact track and compact wheel loaders in the Building Construction Products Division.
Brian joined Caterpillar in 1998 and has held several positions of increasing responsibility in engineering, new product development, and product and technology strategies. Brian has a history of being part of innovative teams from the early concept of Caterpillar’s compact product lines to the expansion of core product lines to support emerging markets, new growth segments and machine integration of fuel-efficient drivetrain solutions.
Brian graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Part of Brian’s background includes active and reserve duty military service in the US Navy.