It’s not often that the CPN mailbox receives a letter from a chairman but when that chairman happens to be Lord Bamford, you’re going to click on the message pretty quickly to find out more.
In this instance the letter concerned JCB’s singular focus on hydrogen as the fuel of the future and the development of the hydrogen engine. The statistics themselves tell a story of a formidable resolve to commercialise hydrogen engines – over 22,000 hours spent in the test cells, machines with over 30,000 hours of testing and 25,000km on the road and more than 150 pre-production engines on the existing production line. Beyond the hardware, the company has tackled the many legislative and approval hurdles needed to sell and operate the engines – Stage V type approval, EU acceptance across all 27 member states, and the amendment to UK road transport legislation permitting hydrogen-powered machines to be driven on UK roads. Along the way JCB has actively shared its knowledge, submitted evidence to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) highlighting the significant role hydrogen engines can play in decarbonising construction equipment and won endorsement from the Government in its Hydrogen Strategy Update.
There’s still a way to go before we see machines on site in meaningful numbers, but you wouldn’t bet against JCB bringing that day forward. After all the company is a proven performer, generally when it says it’s going to do something it gets done! This year marks the company’s 80th in business and it reached a bit of a milestone a few months ago when the one millionth JCB backhoe loader rolled off the production line – a 4CX model. If there is one machine that defines the company, then the backhoe has to be it. So, we make no apology for trailing our backhoe write up starting on page 20. To say that this machine revolutionised construction sites is pretty much of an understatement. Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, and while many equipment OEMs have turned out their own versions of the backhoe, many operators would surely say that JCB’s is the quintessential version, a machine without peers. Throughout its life it has met the challenges that the construction industry has thrown at it, each iteration bringing something new to the party, keeping the backhoe relevant and very much a part of sites around not just the UK, but globally. The most recent innovation was Dual Drive, allowing the operator to reposition the machine while facing the excavator, without having to turn the seat to the front-facing position. It might seem an obvious call to make but don’t underestimate the complexities involved. And looking forward who’s to say that we won’t soon be watching hydrogen engine-powered backhoes doing their stuff. It’s definitely on the cards.
Happy reading
