JCB has made a major breakthrough in proving the wider appeal of hydrogen combustion technology by installing one of its super-efficient hydrogen engines into a 7.5 tonne Mercedes truck.
The installation was completed in just days and one of the truck's first test drivers was JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who has been spearheading JCB's £100 million hydrogen project.
The internal combustion engine used in the truck is the same as those already powering JCB's prototype construction and agricultural machines.
The truck at the centre of the latest project was formerly diesel-powered and the switch to hydrogen is a breakthrough which underlines that this sort of power could represent a much quicker way to reach global carbon dioxide emissions targets.
This is a giant leap forward for JCB and the rest of the world because we all have one goal: to reduce emissions. The hydrogen engine we have installed in the truck is the same as those already powering prototype JCB machines, so there is no reason we should not see hydrogen combustion engines in vehicles used on the roads in the future, including cars.
A team of 100 engineers has been working on the exciting development for more than a year and the 50th JCB hydrogen combustion engine has now come off the production line as part of the development process.
To support hydrogen equipment, JCB has developed a hydrogen refuelling unit which stores hydrogen in cylinders.
Innovation. That's what JCB has been delivering for over 75 years. Now we're working on hydrogen combustion engines, so that our agricultural and construction machinery can be net zero on carbon emissions.
It was always our intention to build our own diesel engines and that dream became a reality in 2004. From then on, it was all about continuous improvement and making our engines as fuel-efficient as possible, while reducing harmful emissions.
The wraps will come off JCB’s brand new hydrogen combustion engine - the company’s zero-carbon emissions solution for construction and agricultural equipment - at the Conexpo 2023 show in Las Vegas as part of the International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE).