Digger giant JCB has added a fuel cell Toyota Mirai saloon to its growing hydrogen operation.

The latest Toyota Mirai arrives on the JCB fleet as the company invests £100m in the development of super-efficient hydrogen engines to power its equipment

The vehicle is among the first batch of Toyota’s new hydrogen-fuelled cars to arrive on UK shores since its launch earlier this year.

It’s actually the second Mirai to join JCB, following the purchase of a first-generation model on its launch in 2015, and arrives on fleet as the company invests £100m in the development of super-efficient hydrogen engines to power its equipment.

The car was handed over to Lord Bamford, JCB chairman, by Agustin Martin, president and managing director of Toyota (GB).

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 Toyota Mirai builds on the first generation with enhanced driving performance, better fuel efficiency, a 30% greater driving range and a price tag almost 25% lower than its predecessor.

It also offers a range of approximately 400 miles – an increase of 100 miles over the first-generation model, thanks to the increased efficiency of Mirai’s fuel cell system, combined with a 1kg increase in hydrogen capacity.