Hydrogen car joins JCB fleet

2 December 2021

To highlight its commitment to hydrogen technology, JCB has taken delivery of the latest Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car as an addition to its vehicle fleet. 

The car is the second hydrogen fuelled Toyota Mirai bought by JCB following the purchase of a first-generation model in 2015. It was handed over to JCB chairman Lord Bamford (right) by president and managing director of Toyota (GB), Agustin Martin.

As reported earlier on the blog, JCB is investing £100 million in the development of hydrogen combustion engines to power its equipment, with a prototype hydrogen driven backhoe loader and a Loadall telescopic handler already having been produced.

Lord Bamford said: “We applaud Toyota for its consistency in exploring the potential of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels in cars. Indeed, just in the past few months, Mr Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation, has been testing a Toyota car powered by a hydrogen combustion engine, the same technology that JCB is pioneering for its own machinery. Having a hydrogen fuel cell car in our fleet makes perfect sense as we pursue hydrogen as a fuel of the future.”

The new Mirai has a stated range of approximately 400 miles, which is an increase of 100 miles over the first generation model. With power coming from the fuel cell, the car emits only pure water and an electrostatic filter removes almost all particulate matter from the air, up to 2.5 microns in diameter, as it drives. 

• One challenge facing drivers of hydrogen powered vehicles is finding somewhere to refuel. According to UK H2Mobility, a partnership between the Government and industry, there are currently 11 hydrogen stations in the UK. Five of these are located within the M25. 

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