Global Excavator News Wrap

2026-04-08

CONEXPO 2026 Wrap-up: Electric & AI Take Center Stage

The CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 show in Las Vegas (March 2–6) wrapped up last month, drawing over 140,000 attendees. If you walked the halls, one thing was clear – electric excavators are no longer just showpieces. Volvo CE showed its EC230 electric, LiuGong brought the 922FE, and Hyundai Construction Equipment rolled out the HX19E electric mini excavator. Takeuchi even added remote control to its TB20e electric model. AI and autonomy also made a strong showing – not just buzzwords this time

New Machines Dropping from Big Names

Caterpillar filled a gap in its lineup with the new 319 excavator. It’s a 19-ton machine sitting right between the 15-ton and 25-ton compact models – exactly what many rental houses and contractors have been asking for.

HD Hyundai had a busy show – nine new mid-to-large excavators in the 23-to-40-ton range, split between the Hyundai HX series and DEVELON’s NextGen series. All of them come with an AI-based unmanned solution called “Real X”. Meanwhile, DEVELON launched its -9 series large excavators, which use full electro-hydraulics and AI integration. The smart panoramic monitoring system can spot people in the work zone and trigger emergency braking automatically.

Liebherr announced on March 30 that its next-gen 100-ton class excavator, the R 9100 G8, is now available for order. Mass production is set for Q2 2026. Liebherr claims fuel consumption is down 20% from the previous generation, thanks to its own engine and hydraulic management system.