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Hydrogen diggers can now use UK roads
Cristina Lago Deputy Editor
A hydrogen-powered JCB digger was driven around next to the Houses of Parliament to mark the legislation changes
Hydrogen-fuelled non-road mobile machinery, including diggers, has received the green light to be driven on UK roads.
Changes made by the government to the construction motor vehicles and trailers regulations came into force on 29 April, allowing hydrogen-fuelled construction and agricultural machinery to be used on public highways.
Although other hydrogen-powered vehicles such as cars, buses and trucks were already permitted by law to use UK roads, construction and agricultural machinery were excluded.
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A hydrogen-powered JCB digger was driven around London’s roads to mark these legislation changes.
JCB chairman, Anthony Bamford, called the news “historic”. He met the Future of Roads minister, Lilian Greenwood MP, who signed the statutory instrument allowing the government to make the changes to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 for this provision.
JCB was behind a £100m project to develop a hydrogen combustion engine to power its machines.
Future of Roads minister Lilian Greenwood (left) and JCB's group director for special projects, Tim Burnhope, holding the signed statutory instrument that allows hydrogen-fuelled diggers to be driven on UK roads
Milestone moment for hydrogen
“We are delighted that the government has now endorsed the use of hydrogen in machinery,” said Bamford. “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.”
Greenwood said: “Today [29 April] shows once again we are on the side of British business, as we now allow hydrogen-powered diggers and tractors to be legally driven on UK roads for the first time.
“We’re supporting the UK’s Plan for Change by working closely with brilliant 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.”
The November/December 2025 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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