by Nick Drew | Sun 09 Mar 2014
New Volvo E Series excavators debut at ConExpo
This will be my last report on the ConExpo show which came to an end in Las Vegas yesterday. I think you will agree, we have all had an overload of coverage now, but the latest excavators from Volvo are well worth a look, as we now turn our show attention to the upcoming UK event’s, ScotPlant and Hillhead.
There had been much anticipation about the launch of the new E series excavators in the run up to the ConExpo exhibition in Las Vegas. One or two photos of what appeared to be a prototype machine, had found their way onto the pages of various plant and machinery forums in the past couple of months, further wetting peoples appetites for more information on this new range, which is initially represented by the EC380E, which was displayed at the show and the EC480E.
The new EC380E features an all-new dynamic design and is powered by a 306hp Volvo D13J Tier 4 final engine with integrated cooling system. This engine is said to offer a nine percent improvement in fuel consumption over previous models. As we have come to expect from the Volvo excavator range, the operator can select from five working modes to suit the task in hand- I (Idle), F (Fine), G (General), H (Heavy) and P (Power).
For me as an operator, the Volvo cab has always been a class act, and looking at the latest reincarnation in the following video, I think we can safely say that it will remain one of the best places to spend your working days in. Ergonomically the designers have just thought of everything, leaving many others trailing in their wake.
I for one am looking forward to seeing one of these in the metal very soon I hope!