Caterpillar celebrates 50,000th wheel excavator

In 1984, Caterpillar, Eder and Zeppelin Baumaschinen, the Cat dealer in Germany, introduced a new wheeled excavator line, offering four models under the Cat Eder brand. Eight years later, the line became a 100 per cent Cat product with a designated wheel excavator team.

Twenty-eight years later, in 2012, Caterpillar celebrated production of its 25,000th wheel excavator.

This year, Caterpillar announces production of its 50,000th wheel excavator - a Cat M318 Next Gen model, successfully adding 25,000 units to the tally in just 11 years.

The flagship Cat M318 Wheel Excavator combines size and performance in an ideal package for contractors. It’s compact enough to work in tight spaces but delivers high performance for larger projects, making it an all-rounder machine, Caterpillar said.

Recent design advancements offer increased fuel economy, higher swing torque, improved visibility and maintenance parts savings over the previous model series and a suite of technology such as Cat Grade, Cat Payload and Cat E-Fence, Caterpillar added.

Remote diagnostics tools – Remote Troubleshoot and Remote Flash – are also available on the M318 to deliver performance and efficiency with minimum downtime.

During a ceremony held on June 22, 2023, at the Caterpillar facility in Grenoble, France, representatives from Caterpillar and Zeppelin presented the 50,000th commemorative Cat M318 to German construction company, Wolff & Müller Holding GmbH & Co. KG.

Founded in 1936, Wolff & Müller is one of Germany’s leading privately owned construction companies. It owns over 100 Cat machines for completing structural and industrial construction, civil engineering, steel construction, building renovation, road construction, and foundation work. In addition to construction services, Wolff & Müller also offers construction and raw materials as well as construction-related services.

“We are very pleased about our partnership with Zeppelin and Caterpillar, which has existed for almost 70 years and is constantly expanding,” said Wolff & Müller’s Torsten Schuckert.

“The reasons for the good cooperation are, in addition to the innovative machine technology, the excellent nationwide service and, above all, the appreciative, personal contact with each other.”

Europe and South Korea were among the first adopters of the wheeled excavator, Caterpillar said. However, word soon spread and the Cat Wheel Excavator line started growing in popularity in China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North America and other world markets.

Starting with only four models, today’s Cat wheel excavator line includes 16 units all up. These include seven models – Cat M314 to M322 – for markets with higher emissions regulations; one model – M315 GC – for China; three models – M315 to M320D2 –for those adhering to lower emissions standards; a M323F railroad-specific model and four materials handlers - MH3022 to MH3040.

“Offering quick movement on the job site and from site to site without damaging the ground, the wheel excavator proved to be a game changer for contractors working in congested areas and markets with mature infrastructure,” said Caterpillar’s Vice President of Product Management For Excavation, Brian Abbott.

“The advanced hydraulic design, plumbed differently than conventional excavators, allows them to go beyond digging to operate a range of hydraulic work tools to increase application flexibility."