JCB retrofits hydrogen engine in Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van
By Luke Willetts - 24th September 2023
Lord Bamford pictured with the retrofitted white van
UK – Last month, engine maker JCB Power Systems Ltd of Foston, UK (a subsidiary of J C Bamford Excavators Ltd (JCB) of Rochester, UK), announced a major milestone having successfully installed its own purpose-built hydrogen engine (replacing a diesel engine) in an existing Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van to prove the wider appeal of hydrogen-fuelled ICE technology. The hydrogen engine, which was manufactured at JCB’s dedicated H2ICE manufacturing site in Foston, Derbyshire, took just two weeks to retrofit.
The internal combustion engine used in the van is the same as those already powering prototype JCB construction and agricultural machines. This latest development follows the plant manufacturer’s installation of its hydrogen engine into a 7.5-tonne Mercedes truck in February this year.
