The Government has today started consultation on proposals to allow all non-road mobile machinery powered by hydrogen to use the highways.

The move would lift a major barrier to the widespread use of hydrogen-powered plant in construction allowing machines to and from building sites using the public highway.

The launch of the consultation comes after the government issued JCB with a vehicle special order last year, giving the company permission to test its hydrogen-powered diggers on UK roads.

Today’s proposals will expand this permission permanently across the sector, meaning manufacturers can more easily scale up production of sustainable equipment where battery electric power is not practical.

Crucially the proposals would be restricted to machines originally designed to run on hydrogen and not plant that had been adapted or retrofitted.

The consultation will run until 24 April 2024.