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Lighter and less costly batteries providing higher power densities could be a major benefit to the take-up of electric vehicles (EVs). At present, the cost and performance of electric car batteries present a barrier to the EV market. But new research in battery technology is suggesting promising alternative solutions. While such batteries will not be available commercially for some years, tests suggest these technologies could meet demands in terms of cost reduction and power density. Batteries using lithiu

The new CDE Asia factory in Kolkata, India, has been officially opened on the same industrial area as the company’s existing factory. It has been developed to ensure the company can accommodate growing demand for the range of washing equipment it produces for the market in India and south-east Asia. “Our new factory will allow us to build on the success we have enjoyed in India over the last five years and expand our territories into neighbouring countries,” said Manish Bhartia, managing director of CDE Asi

Doosan Portable Power has opened a new manufacturing facility in Doddaballapur, Bangalore, India, with the capacity to produce 2,000 portable air compressors and light towers annually. More than 100 guests joined Doosan Portable Power employees for the manufacturing launch. Portable air compressors and light towers manufactured in the factory are sold in India with future plans to provide additional units to meet market demands in South Africa and Latin America “Doddaballapur in Bangalore offers outstanding

Ritchie Bros sold around US$3.9 billion of equipment at 328 unreserved equipment auctions around the world in 2012. This represents a 5% increase in gross auction proceeds over 2011 and the highest gross auction proceeds in the company’s history. The firm achieved gross auction proceeds of $1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012 alone, highlighting the strong industry demand for used machines. Ritchie Bros says that it also attracted record online bidder registrations and sold approximately $1.3 billion of

Astec, an Astec Industries company, has divided its Latin American sales territory. With the goal of better serving customers and delivering the very best service to the Latin America market, Astec brought Humberto Flores on board as director of sales for the southern Latin America territory, which includes Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador. Flores is based in Peru. Astec director of sales Moises Esquivel will retain the northern Latin America territory including Mexico,

Caterpillar has revealed details of its “significant” investment in new and upgraded parts distribution centres in Africa and the Middle East (AME). The investment, highlighted during Cat’s recent Construction Days event in Antalya, Turkey, is in addition to the US$460 million invested by the company’s AME dealers in 2011 to improve local operations, reports Guy Woodford. “We are going to open in March [2013] a complete new parts distribution centre in Dubai, which is significant,” said Christian Dillier, A

After a slowdown in road projects last year, the road construction sector in India has picked up in 2012. With the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) awarding new projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) programmes and the their execution picking up, the Indian construction industry is looking at making up for lost time with a flow of funds and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contracts in 2012. The effect of the sudden surge in demand for construction machinery, building

Authorities on the North East coast of the United States have begun repairing damaged highways and road bridges as part of a multi-billion dollar huge clean-up operation following the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. More than 250 people were killed in the superstorm that also wreaked havoc in parts of the Caribbean and Mid-Atlantic, with lesser impacts also felt in South Eastern and Mid-West American states and Eastern Canada, in late October 2012. This photograph taken of a Hurricane Sandy-hi

Atlas Copco intends to acquire the Swiss MEYCO business, a move that widens its product range for the tunnelling market. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed and Atlas Copco’s Swiss subsidiary will acquire the MEYCO Equipment business from BASF Construction Chemicals Europe. This move brings a comprehensive range of mobile equipment for shotcreting in underground operations. MEYCO has offices and an assembly facility in Winterthur, Switzerland and its products include carrier-mounted concrete spray

The construction of the Istanbul-Izmir motorway in Turkey is set to be delayed by at least 18 months due to insufficient funds being in place to complete the major new highway. Turkey's Transport and Communication Minister Binali Yildirim has warned the Nurol-Özaltn-Makyol-Astaldi-Yüksel-Göçay joint venture, who are responsible for the construction of the motorway, that it will be in breach of the project’s contract, signed in October 2010, imposing a strict completion deadline of five-and-a-half years.

Works to widen a section of the CA-2 Occidente motorway in Guatemala will cost US$380.88 million (GTQ 3bn). The project, awarded to Brazilian construction firm Norberto Odebrecht, will see the key route widened to four lanes between Cocales and the border with Mexico. Brazil's BNDES bank and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) are financing the works, which is due to begin in February 2013.

A new, short video shot on in Dublin shows the effort and resource put into a large-scale 'Mandatory Alcohol Test' on a busy street in the city. Nearly 200 people were tested (car drivers, motorcyclists, bus and van drivers) during the hour-long operation. There was not a single positive test provided - and this backs up new statistics from Ireland that show the success of their decision to introduce a lower alcohol limit for drivers in October 2011. The detection rate in 2007 was one in 25. Today it stands