Contractors Hot Line is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
Contractors Hot Line is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
JCB has celebrated a major manufacturing milestone with the production of its one millionth engine, highlighting its growth and innovation over the past two decades.
Engine manufacturing began in 2004 at JCB Power Systems in Foston, Derbyshire, and expanded to India in 2010 with a dedicated plant in Ballabgarh, Delhi. Initially producing just three engines per day, JCB now produces approximately 500, establishing itself as a global leader in diesel engine development. The company is also pioneering hydrogen combustion engines, backed by a $125 million investment.
“To have made one million engines in 20 years is quite some achievement,” JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford said. “This really is a significant moment for our teams around the world, a real achievement. The JCB engine is very well respected around the world for its reliability and very well appreciated by our customers. JCB machines work in dirt and hot and cold climates, and from the moment they go to a customer, they are working hard and doing a full day’s shift. The engine really is the beating heart of that reputation for reliability.
“It was a major decision at the time to make our own engines and I was directly involved in that; it has paid off and I’m very pleased we made the decision. As we hit the milestone of producing one million engines, the time is right to acknowledge the part my played father in the design, not only of this engine, but other engines which he designed with other people in the past. My father died in 2001, so our engines were running as prototypes by that time, and he had a lot to do with it. I’m thankful he was involved in this engine so many years ago.”
JCB engines have powered record-setting vehicles, including the Dieselmax, which became the fastest diesel car in the world at 350.1 mph in 2006, and the Fastrac tractor, which set the record for the world’s fastest tractor at 135.2 mph in 2019. More than 120 hydrogen combustion engines have already been produced, with machines currently undergoing evaluation for efficiency.