JCB has been given special dispensation, under a vehicle special order, to test and use its world-first hydrogen-powered backhoe loader on UK roads.
Hydrogen isn’t yet an approved fuel for certain vehicles, such as construction equipment, on UK highways. So, under Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act, the Transport Secretary has made a special vehicle order to permit the new backhoe loader prototype’s use for tests, trials or demonstrations until such time as the fuel gets proper approval for general use.
Claimed to be the first vehicle of its kind, JCB says the backhoe loader offers a pioneering solution to help reduce emissions on construction sites. With 25 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions coming from the built environment, it’s vital the entire construction industry looks to decarbonise at every stage.
JCB’s prototype hydrogen-powered backhoe loader is an important first step in the construction industry’s efforts to decarbonise in what is genbetrally considered to be a hard-to-decarbonise sector. Hydrogen combustion machines can play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions in settings where other types of clean power may not be the most practical or efficient.
