The electric drive D7E entered service in early 2009, returning to a traditional ‘flat-track’ configuration for this iteration only.

The high-drive design returned in 2020 with the introduction of the D7 (forgoing a generational letter under Caterpillar’s new naming system).

[citation needed] In March 2008, at Conexpo 2008 held every 3 years in Las Vegas, Caterpillar introduced the D7E.

This makes it ideal for working on very steep slopes, in forests, and for backfilling pipelines safely without risking damage to the pipe.

The United States Marine Corps replaced its fleet of D7Gs with John Deere's 850J MCT in 2009.