IRVING,
Texas, Nov. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Caterpillar
Inc. (NYSE: CAT) announced today a successful demonstration of its
first battery electric 793 large mining truck and a significant
investment to transform its Arizona-based proving ground into a
sustainable testing and validation hub of the future.
Caterpillar completed development of its first battery electric
793 prototype with support from key mining customers participating
in Caterpillar's Early Learner program. Participants of the program
with definitive electrification agreements include BHP,
Freeport-McMoRan, Newmont Corporation, Rio Tinto and Teck Resources
Limited.
"Our global team came together to develop this battery truck at
an accelerated pace to help our customers meet their sustainability
commitments," said Resource Industries Group President Denise Johnson. "This demonstration is a
significant milestone, and we are excited for these trucks to get
to work at customers' sites around the world in the near
future."
The Early Learner program launched in 2021 and focuses on
accelerating the development and validation of Caterpillar's
battery electric trucks at participating customers' sites. This
approach supports the individual commitments each Early Learner
participant has made to reduce and eliminate greenhouse gas
emissions from their operations. A primary objective of the program
is for Caterpillar to collaborate more closely with its customers
as the industry undergoes transformational change through the
energy transition.
Early Learner customers came together to witness a live
demonstration of Caterpillar's prototype battery truck on a
seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) course. During the event, Caterpillar
monitored over 1,100 data channels, gathering 110,000 data points
per second, to validate simulation and engineering modeling
capabilities. Fully loaded to its rated capacity, the truck
achieved a top speed of 60 km/h (37.3 mph). The loaded truck
traveled one kilometer (0.62 mile) up a 10% grade at 12 km/h (7.5
mph). The truck also performed a one kilometer (0.62 mile) run on a
10% downhill grade, capturing the energy that would normally be
lost to heat and regenerating that energy to the battery. Upon
completing the entire run, the truck maintained enough battery
energy to perform additional complete cycles.
Mine Site of the Future
The prototype truck was built at Caterpillar's Tucson Proving
Ground, located in Green Valley,
Arizona. In support of the energy transition, Caterpillar is
investing to transform the proving ground into a working,
sustainable "mine site of the future" by installing and utilizing a
variety of renewable energy sources. The objective is to implement
the same sustainable solutions mining companies will use at their
own operations to learn firsthand what it takes to run an
electrified mine site and effectively support customers through the
changes.
"The transformation of the Tucson Proving Ground allows
Caterpillar to demonstrate our energy transition commitments and
serve as a stronger advisor to customers as we navigate the changes
together. We know it will take an integrated, site-level solution
for miners to achieve their carbon-reduction goals, and we're here
to help as they redefine the way they mine for generations to
come," emphasized Johnson.
As part of the site transformation, the company will install the
latest advancements in sustainability technology, including green
hydrogen production, natural gas and 100% hydrogen reciprocating
engine power generation, fuel cell power generation and expanded
energy storage systems. The site will also leverage a variety of
renewable power sources, including wind, solar and hydrogen,
capable of powering the facility and its products as they become
electrified. The transformation of the facility will also serve as
a learning platform for optimizing charging and energy management
integration.
About Caterpillar
With 2021 sales and revenues of
$51.0 billion, Caterpillar Inc. is
the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining
equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial
gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years,
we've been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world
and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our
innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer
network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed.
Caterpillar does business on every continent, principally operating
through three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource
Industries and Energy & Transportation – and providing
financing and related services through our Financial Products
segment. Visit us at caterpillar.com or join the conversation on
our social media channels.
Forward-Looking Statements
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press release relate to future events and expectations and are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe,"
"estimate," "will be," "will," "would," "expect," "anticipate,"
"plan," "forecast," "target," "guide," "project," "intend,"
"could," "should" or other similar words or expressions often
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including, without limitation, statements regarding our outlook,
projections, forecasts or trend descriptions. These statements do
not guarantee future performance and speak only as of the date they
are made, and we do not undertake to update our forward-looking
statements.
Caterpillar's actual results may differ materially from those
described or implied in our forward-looking statements based on a
number of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) global and
regional economic conditions and economic conditions in the
industries we serve; (ii) commodity price changes, material price
increases, fluctuations in demand for our products or significant
shortages of material; (iii) government monetary or fiscal
policies; (iv) political and economic risks, commercial instability
and events beyond our control in the countries in which we operate;
(v) international trade policies and their impact on demand for our
products and our competitive position, including the imposition of
new tariffs or changes in existing tariff rates; (vi) our ability
to develop, produce and market quality products that meet our
customers' needs; (vii) the impact of the highly competitive
environment in which we operate on our sales and pricing; (viii)
information technology security threats and computer crime; (ix)
inventory management decisions and sourcing practices of our
dealers and our OEM customers; (x) a failure to realize, or a delay
in realizing, all of the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions,
joint ventures or divestitures; (xi) union disputes or other
employee relations issues; (xii) adverse effects of unexpected
events; (xiii) disruptions or volatility in global financial
markets limiting our sources of liquidity or the liquidity of our
customers, dealers and suppliers; (xiv) failure to maintain our
credit ratings and potential resulting increases to our cost of
borrowing and adverse effects on our cost of funds, liquidity,
competitive position and access to capital markets; (xv) our
Financial Products segment's risks associated with the financial
services industry; (xvi) changes in interest rates or market
liquidity conditions; (xvii) an increase in delinquencies,
repossessions or net losses of Cat Financial's customers; (xviii)
currency fluctuations; (xix) our or Cat Financial's compliance with
financial and other restrictive covenants in debt agreements; (xx)
increased pension plan funding obligations; (xxi) alleged or actual
violations of trade or anti-corruption laws and regulations; (xxii)
additional tax expense or exposure, including the impact of U.S.
tax reform; (xxiii) significant legal proceedings, claims, lawsuits
or government investigations; (xxiv) new regulations or changes in
financial services regulations; (xxv) compliance with environmental
laws and regulations; (xxvi) the duration and geographic spread of,
business disruptions caused by, and the overall global economic
impact of, the COVID-19 pandemic; and (xxvii) other factors
described in more detail in Caterpillar's Forms 10-Q, 10-K and
other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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SOURCE Caterpillar Inc.