Hydrogen diggers get green light to use UK road

JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford – who instigated a £100 million project to develop a hydrogen combustion engine to power JCB’s machines - hailed the news as “historic”. Lord Bamford’s reaction came as a hydrogen powered JCB digger was driven around London’s roads to mark the announcement – calling in at the Department for Transport to meet the Minister who made the legislative change happen.

“We are supporting the UK's Plan for Change by working closely with British companies like JCB to harness the opportunities of the net zero transition, driving innovation and creating jobs to put money in the pockets of hardworking people and secure our future,” said MP Lilian Greenwood.

“We are delighted that the government has now endorsed the use of hydrogen in machinery. There has been a lot of work to get to this point. It is truly a historic day for JCB and a milestone moment for the use of hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel in the construction and agricultural machinery industries. We now have the legislation that allows hydrogen powered machines to drive on the road between sites and between farms,” added Lord Bamford.

Lilian Greenwood signed the statutory instrument in early April 2025 to pave the way for an amendment to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 to enable the road use of hydrogen-fuelled non-road mobile machinery. Other hydrogen powered vehicles, including cars, buses, and trucks were already permitted by law to use UK roads, but hydrogen-fuelled construction and agricultural machinery.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/02052025/hydrogen-diggers-get-green-light-to-use-uk-road/