Five-star safety in electric car
Holden’s long-range electric Volt car has been awarded a maximum five-star safety rating under the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). The electric car will go on sale in Australia in November. The manufacturer says it features “some of the most advanced vehicle technology and cutting edge safety features available in Australia”.
The vehicle will come with safety features, including ‘Lane Departure Warning’ and ‘Forward Collision Alert’. The Lane Departure Warning uses windscreen-mounted digital camera to alert drivers when they stray outside lane markings or change lanes without signalling first. The Forward Collision Alert system uses the same camera to detect slow or stationary traffic in front of the vehicle and warns drivers if they are following another vehicle too closely.
The car also features eight airbags, a rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, an electric park brake and electronic stability control, an anti-lock braking system, brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution and traction control.
Fuel-efficient excavators
Kobelco has released two excavators it says come with an ‘ECO mode’ that provides up to 27 per cent more fuel efficiencies than previous models.
The seven-ton SK75SR-3 and eight-ton SK85MSR-3 excavators have been designed to replace the company’s Series 2 models. Like older models, the units feature ‘H mode’ for heavy digging and ‘S mode’ for standard digging, but are the first to feature the new ECO mode. The excavators also feature fuel savings in the older modes, with H mode now six per cent more fuel efficient and S mode 13 per cent.
Both models are fitted with the low-noise iNDR system, which delivers external operational noise levels of 93 decibels.
The rear swing radius of the SK85MSR-3 has been reduced by 140 millimetres to 1,650 millimetres, while the dozer height has been increased to 500 millimetres. The dozer height on the SK75SR-3 model is 360 millimetres.
Utility roller available in Australia
Caterpillar has announced the Australian release of the CB14B Utility Roller, which is designed for compaction of asphalt and other granular materials. The unit is a 1.5-ton utility roller available with 900-millimetre or 1000-millimetre tandem vibratory drums. The company says the dual drum-drive powertrain provides continuous full-drum traction on soft base materials, uneven surfaces and steeper grades. Each drum is fitted with front and rear scrapers that are spring-loaded, retractable and self-adjusting.
The roller’s water spray system features a standard 100-litre water tank, corrosion-proof materials, extended-life water pump and dual-filtering system. The pressurised system is equipped with four spray nozzles mounted over each drum for even coverage and an eight-position timer that allows the operator to adjust water flow and match jobsite conditions.
According to the manufacturer, typical applications for the roller include bike paths, courtyards, patchwork, parking lots, driveways, town centres, trenches and shoulder work.