From A Bucket To A Track

There was a buzz in the construction industry when Caterpillar announced that it would begin production of its first hybrid dozer , the D7E , in October. There was also a buzz more recently when the price was announced — about US$600,000, which is about 20 per cent higher than the conventional D7. Premium prices for hybrid technology are nothing new. The Toyota Prius — the poster child for hybrid cars — has carried a hefty price premium from day one. The same thing happened when hybrid technologies began to make their way into truck markets. The economy may be in the dumpster, but buyers...