In late 2024, AI-generated images were posted online of fake pickups, purportedly from heavy machinery companies Caterpillar and John Deere.
With the images creating a lot of buzz from fans of those brands, Caterpillar has actually gone ahead and unveiled a real pickup concept at a construction expo in Las Vegas this week.
Called the Cat Truck, the company says the vehicle is “equipped with Cat technology”, which appears to include ADAS features, an AI assistant, and an integrated drone launching system.
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“They dreamed of torque and towing power,” the company said in a media release.
“Those were the easy parts for Caterpillar, so we went further to see how we could help them even more. We dreamed of a tech-forward system that would transform every jobsite.
“So, we did something bold. We built it.”
But rather than being a ground-up build powered by a Caterpillar powertrain, it appears the company has just made some styling changes to a Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup, along with the conceptual technological changes.
However, the company doesn’t seem to be shying away from that fact, with its promotional video clearly showing a construction site manager getting in and out of his Ford Super Duty, with the Caterpillar add-ons aiding his work.
Commenters on the internet have been quick to criticise, with some suggesting the concept is little more than a rushed vinyl wrap, some minor body changes, and a Cat badge on the front.
The heavy machinery giant has been light on details about the Cat Truck, suggesting the technology might be more theoretical at this stage.
Should the Cat Truck reach production as a rebadged Ford Super Duty, it wouldn’t be the first time a heavy vehicle manufacturer sold a pickup.
Defunct American truck manufacturer Sterling sold a rebadged version of the Dodge Ram, the Bullet, from 2007 to 2009.