Toro has announced the next evolution in material handling on jobsites while taking another step toward electrification of its machines.
At the 2022 World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas, Toro displayed the prototype model of the e-2500 electric Ultra Buggy.
Featuring a compact design and zero exhaust emissions, the Ultra Buggy is ideal for indoor construction and renovation applications.
Powered by Toro’s own HyperCell battery system, the Ultra Buggy builds on Toro’s success with its line of Material Buggies by offering operators a battery-powered, zero-emission solution that will open the door to new jobsites, particularly indoor applications.
“If it's something new, you should be able to figure it out pretty quickly how to use it. Kind of like an iPhone, you shouldn’t need instructions,” said Jay Thaker, Toro marketing manager. “Whether you're a contractor or a homeowner, you don't want to spend that whole Saturday figuring out how to do a job. You want to make sure that you’re getting the job done by the time that you said.”
He said that with the Ultra Buggy, Toro tried to build all those core traits into one product while also ensuring it could be used specifically indoors.
With a narrow width of 31.5-inches, it can fit through a 3-foot door with a crash bar and features a zero-turn radius to navigate hard-to-access areas. Built to be versatile and agile, it’s equipped with a fold-up platform so operators can choose to stand on or walk behind the unit and allow further access into tight spaces. The Ultra Buggy also has lights and horns for signaling indoors.
Like it’s gas counterparts, the Ultra Buggy is designed to haul up to 16 cubic feet or 2,500 pounds of material in a polyurethane tub.
“It’s very thick so it can withstand holding things like rebar, mud, bricks and more heavy materials,” Thakar said, noting that a steel tub is also available for even heavier hauling.
The tub remains hydraulically controlled; however, the machine was designed to create the best user experience and is engineered with various electrical components.
Operating with zero exhaust, contractors can get a full day’s work in using Toro’s HyperCell lithium battery technology. Depending on the job and application, the battery will last nearly eight hours of continuous use.
Thakar said the Ultra Buggy has an onboard charger, so the unit simply gets plugged into a regular 110-volt socket and charges overnight.
After a decade in the buggy business, Toro is excited to announce the next evolution in material handling with the new Toro electric Ultra Buggy.Jordanne Waldschmidt
What’s old is new again
“The controls on the electric Ultra Buggy are closely related to the wheeled gas Mud Buggy,” said Kaitlyn Ingli, associate marketing manager at Toro, noting that the handlebar controls directly link to the rear wheels to steer the machine.
As in Toro’s series of tracked Material Buggies, the electric Ultra Buggy features a mounted directional and dump switch to provide the operator continuous motion on the machine.
“These mounted controls eliminate the need to fully stop the machine to change directions or dump the load,” Ingli said.
Software has been designed to control the speed of the machine as the operator pulls back the throttle, as well as the speed as it is turning, giving the operator a smooth driving experience.
“The independently controlled motors and the software-controlled speed while turning allows the machine to have zero-turn-radius ability,” Ingli said. When the operator releases the throttle control, the buggy uses regenerative braking to reach a full stop, and an automatic parking brake engages to prevent machine creep.
“With many components shifting to electric operation run by thoughtfully developed software, there are many benefits operators will notice on the electric Ultra Buggy,” she said.
The new electric Ultra Buggy will be available in Fall 2022.
