The Dewar Trophy is awarded for ‘Outstanding Technical Achievement in the British Automotive Industry’. Revered as one of the most prestigious awards in British engineering, the Royal Automobile Club’s Dewar Trophy is presented only in years when the Club’s expert committee believes that there are contenders of sufficient merit. This is one such year.
The 2019 Dewar Trophy was awarded to JCB for the development and introduction into the market of the JCB 19C-1E electric mini excavator – the construction industry’s first fully electric mini excavator. As a result, JCB becomes one of the few companies, in the 113-year history of the Trophy, to have won it more than once.
John Wood MBE, Chairman of the Dewar Technical Committee, said: “Awarding the 2019 trophy to JCB was a unanimous decision by the Dewar Technical Committee. The JCB 19C-1E is unique in the application of electric powertrain technology in the mini excavator market. As one would expect from a company like JCB, it has come about as a result of a thoroughly well thought out and properly executed development process based on a clear appreciation of the market needs, usage profiles and the particular advantages that the emerging technology can offer. It represents a bold commitment to the introduction of novel technology in the off-road sector”.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “I’m absolutely delighted that JCB has been presented with such a prestigious award. JCB is a company built on innovation and for our latest innovation, our electric mini excavator, to be recognised in this way is tremendous for the company and the team who have developed it. It’s also a great honour to join such an elite roll of past Dewar recipients including Mercedes-AMG, McLaren Automotive, Jaguar, Ford, Ricardo and GKN.”
The Dewar Trophy was presented to Bob Womersley, JCB’s Director of Advanced Engineering. He said: “The 19C-IE is the construction industry’s first fully electric mini excavator to go into production. It has been a huge success and has a very promising future ahead of it. To win this award in the first few weeks of production is absolutely tremendous.”
Wing Commander Andy Green OBE said, “I’m delighted for JCB. It’s a magnificent company at the forefront of innovation and technology flying the flag for British engineering. Having worked with them closely on the JCB DieselMax project, I saw first-hand their ‘can-do spirit’ which permeates throughout the business”.
The 19C-1E is a staggering five times quieter than its diesel counterpart and can be fully charged in under two hours. The model is expected to be a big hit with companies working inside buildings and in emissions and noise-sensitive inner-city areas. Fully charged, the 19C-1E can put in a typical full day’s shift for a mini excavator.
It is the second time that JCB has won the Dewar Trophy, having been presented with the award in 2007 for its outstanding achievement in breaking the world diesel landspeed record with the JCB Dieselmax car powered by two JCB engines. Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green, the car reached a speed of 350.092mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA. The record still stands today.
JCB joins a remarkable line-up of automotive greats which include Mercedes AMG High Performance Power Trains, McLaren Automotive and Integral Powertrain Limited.
