Caterpillar announced at CES 2026 an expanded partnership with Nvidia to integrate the Jetson Thor platform across its construction, mining and industrial equipment lines. The collaboration will power real-time AI inference for autonomous operations, beginning with the Cat AI Assistant demoed by CEO Joe Creed. This solution leverages Nvidia’s advanced graphics processing capabilities to enable on-board machine vision, predictive maintenance analytics and operator guidance in challenging environments such as open-pit mines and large-scale infrastructure projects.

In its third-quarter report, Caterpillar reported sales growth of 10%, reaching 17.6 billion dollars, and achieved an adjusted operating margin of 17.5%. The company’s backlog expanded to a record 39.8 billion dollars, driven by strong orders in energy, transportation and infrastructure segments. CEO Creed highlighted that AI-enabled features are expected to accelerate equipment utilization rates and support higher average selling prices, while robust global infrastructure spending is forecast to sustain aftermarket parts and service revenues.

Over the past year, Caterpillar shares climbed 58% as Section 232 steel and aluminum duties, doubled to 50%, and expanded machinery component tariffs limited competition from low-cost Chinese manufacturers. On the latest earnings call, Creed noted that these measures have underpinned pricing power and preserved market share in earthmoving and mining equipment. However, the Supreme Court is poised to rule imminently on the constitutional validity of these tariffs; a decision striking them down could expose Caterpillar to renewed import competition, pressure margins and reverse gains in backlog volumes.