UK government approves world’s first hydrogen-powered JCB digger

The UK government has approved the world’s first digger powered by a hydrogen combustion engine for use on the UK’s roads with the aim of decarbonising the UK’s construction agency.

The government said it was giving “special dispensation” under a special vehicle order that allows agricultural machinery manufacturer, JCB, to test and use its hydrogen-powered backhoe loader in the UK.

“JCB’s hydrogen-powered backhoe loader is a world first in our industry, a digger with a purpose-engineered internal combustion engine that uses hydrogen gas as the energy source.

“It’s a real breakthrough – a zero CO2 fuel providing the power to drive the pistons in an internal combustion engine, a technology that’s been around for over 100 years, a technology that we are all familiar with.”