But first, let’s answer the question ‘when was the first hydrogen engine made’ – which is all the way back in 1806. Swiss engineer Francois Isaac de Rivaz contained hydrogen gas in a balloon and used an electrical volta started for the ignition – but unfortunately, this didn’t quite translate to his hydrogen-powered car.
As the importance of zero-emissions fuel sources continues to grow, it’s JCB who’s driving the hydrogen revolution in their sector. Our team of 150 engineers have been working on the exciting £100 million development for over three years and have now completed over 50,000 hours of test-cell and real world in-machine testing.
When it comes to who invented the hydrogen engine, that credit has to go to Francois Isaac de Rivaz. But at JCB, we’re leading the way to make it a reality in the 21st century. You can learn more about our journey on the road to zero by clicking here.