Bobcat has announced that the company’s first new compact wheel loader (CWL) - the L85 model - is now in full production at their plant on the Dobris campus in the Czech Republic.

Jiri Karmazin, Loaders product manager at Bobcat

The first machine is heading to the Bobcat Institute on the campus, where it will be used to train Bobcat dealers and customers.

By entering the wheel loader category, Bobcat say they now have the largest loader portfolio of any manufacturer in the world. To meet demand, an additional fourth production line has been built at the company's plant in the Czech Republic. The capacity of the new production line is around 1000 machines per year and will be operated by 15 workers per shift. The overall new investment involved was worth over one million Euro.

Jiri Karmazin, Loaders product manager at Bobcat, said, “A product of the Bobcat Innovation Center on our Dobris campus, the L85 has been designed to set a new market-leading performance benchmark in this segment of the market. The L85 is built with proven components including the engine, structures, axles, electronics and hydraulics sourced either from Bobcat or our prestigious Tier 1 suppliers.

"Many components are already widely used in our market-leading compact loaders, mini-excavators and telehandlers, and the L85 undergoes the same final assembly and test procedures as these products."