JCB to bring hydrogen-burning engine to U.S.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said the company has made enormous strides toward developing a hydrogen internal combustion engine (Photo: JCB)

JCB will showcase its hydrogen-burning engine on the international stage for the first time with a debut in North America.

The UK manufacturer has a significant investment in green-hydrogen production, and while a hydrogen fuel cell is capable of generating electricity without conbustion, modified diesel engines can burn hydrogen as fuel in what some say could be a method of generating clean horsepower for heavier-duty applications. 

The new hydrogen combustion engine – the company’s zero-carbon emissions solution for construction and agricultural equipment – will be shown at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 in Las Vegas as part of the co-located International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE).

“The JCB engineering team has made enormous strides in a short space of time to develop a hydrogen internal combustion engine and it already powers a JCB prototype backhoe loader and a Loadall telescopic hander,” said JCB Chairman, Lord Bamford.

The prototypes demonstrate that hydrogen-combustion engines can be developed quickly starting with existing diesel engines and can be installed in the same chassis and use the same supporting sytems, such as cooling systems, as their diesel counterparts. 

JCB has one of the construction industry’s largest portfolios of electric equipment.

The manufacturer added that its diesel-powered machines emit 50% less CO2 compared with those manufactured in 2010 and that its clean diesel engine technology will also be showcased in Las Vegas.