Korean-built bulldozers return to market 24 years after production halted

HD Hyundai Infracore Co.‘s 10-ton bulldozer [Photo provided by HD Hyundai Infracore]

HD Hyundai Infracore Co., South Korea’s biggest construction equipment manufacturer, entered the domestic bulldozer market for the first time in 24 years that could shake up a sector dominated by Caterpillar Inc. of the U.S.

Caterpillar commands more than 90 percent of the market share.

HD Hyundai Infracore announced the launch of its 10-ton bulldozer in the domestic market on Sunday. Korean-built bulldozers came to a halt in 1999 when Daewoo Heavy Industries Co., the predecessor of HD Hyundai Infracore, stopped production. In 1998, Volvo, which had acquired the construction equipment division of Samsung Heavy Industries Co., also ceased production of bulldozers as demand for the equipment dropped with changes in earthmoving techniques and the partial replacement of bulldozer operations with excavators.

Bulldozers are machinery used to push soil, level the ground and flatten it out. The annual demand for bulldozers in the global market is around 20,000 units, with the North American market accounting for half of it.

HD Hyundai Infracore resumed bulldozer production to target the North American market in 2021.

The bulldozer launched by HD Hyundai Infracore is equipped with an environmentally-friendly engine that meets European exhaust gas regulations for construction machinery. It also has a wide field of vision and a rear-view camera, ensuring high operational stability, according to the company.