As one Defra agency appears to be finally learning the painful lessons of IT rollouts gone wrong, another seems to have walked into the same trap. New backhoes from JCB use less fuel
JCB’s latest backhoe machines are the result of a multi-million pound investment which will see potential fuel bills be cut by 16 per cent, the company says.
An investment of £20 million has seen a new generation of the company’s backhoes, which are built at JCB’s production line at Rocester, Staffordshire. The first machines came off the line in Union Jack colours and embarked on a tour of famous London landmarks to celebrate its launch and the company’s approaching 65th anniversary in October.
The 3CX and 4CX models, which have a starting price of £40,000, go into full production next month and will offer a machine which uses up to 16 per cent less fuel compared to its predecessor, which JCB claims will save customers £1,000 on fuel costs if using the digger for an average 1,250 hours per annum.
As an added bonus which would be a welcome addition to many a cab, JCB now offers an in-cab drinks machine able to make tea, coffee and soup for those cold winter mornings.
The fuel savings are derived largely though the introduction of a new hydraulic system which utilises three hydraulic pumps instead of two, providing the same hydraulic output but at lower engine speeds. The introduction of power brakes also contributes to the fuel savings, adds the company.
