Escorts Kubota Limited: Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine & BSV Engine

Escorts Kubota Limited showcases its advanced Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (HICE) and Bharat Stage V (BSV) Engine, reflecting its commitment to sustainability and innovation in the construction equipment sector.
Chandra Bhushan Thakur, Head Sales & Marketing, Engine Business Division

What recent innovations in engine technology are you implementing to enhance performance and efficiency in construction and mining equipment? How do these innovations address industry challenges such as fuel consumption and emissions?

Our customers, the OEMs, operate their businesses around the world, and our engines are adopted in diverse environments and applications. That’s why, as an engine manufacturer, we prepare multiple options that can meet each and every application of the equipment equipped with our engine.

Fuel efficiency is certainly a prerequisite. For example, the electronic control of small engines (the TVCR), announced in 2021, enables a minimum 5% fuel reduction. We can also meet the regulations in China that prohibit visible black smoke and anticipate stricter emissions regulations for small engines in the future. Based on market needs, we are gradually increasing the number of models, and we currently have three. Plus, our R&D department is continually researching improvements in fuel efficiency.

Starting January 2025, India will implement the Bharat V emission norms. How are you supporting OEMs to adopt these standards smoothly, ensuring minimal impact on production costs while enhancing efficiency and sustainability?

We are ahead of the curve when it comes to developing engines to meet Bharat Stage V emission norms as our engines are compliant to EU Stage V and Tier 4F norms. Our readiness to meet Bharat V is a validation to our commitment to the Indian market and our Indian customers.

We are working closely with OEMs who have developed prototype machines equipped with our advanced engines. We are providing end-to-end support to the right from engine selection for the application to field validations to ensure smooth transition to Bharat Stage V norms.

How is your company leveraging advancements in technologies like AI and IoT to improve engine diagnostics, maintenance, and overall operational efficiency in construction equipment?

Escorts Kubota Limited and its affiliated dealers utilize an internal online environment, called KEP, and analytical tools to provide timely information necessary for services, ensuring high-quality and timely activities for OEMs and end-users. While the use of AI is being evaluated, it has not yet been implemented.

For large-scale projects, how do your engines meet the demand for higher power, longer service intervals, and versatility across different types of machinery and varying ground conditions?

In the range below V5009 =200 horsepower, we respond to customer specifications as requested. Our strength lies in multi-variety production and application engineering. Our R&D department develops products in response to market demands, and our engineers in every region around the world configure the settings as per our customers' machines and specifications. Our factories can also produce products optimized for each customer's machines and as per market demands.

What is the potential impact of alternative fuels and hybrid technologies on the future of construction equipment engines? How is your company innovating or adapting its product offerings as per these trends?

We believe that the appropriate engine type will be selected for each region and application. Our design philosophy includes increasing variations without changing the size or footprint of the engine. This is to make application design easier for our customers. We continue to supply engines that align with our customers' strategies by increasing options. The development of our widely used gas and gasoline engines was part of this trend. The hydrogen engine we are showcasing also uses a body repurposed from a gasoline engine, like diesel.

The field insights of application engineers from our sales companies around the world converge at our R&D in Japan. The information collected by our marketers also contributes to this and we respond to market demands through the accumulation of this experience. We are also monitoring trends in on-road applications.

While maintaining engine size, we will continue to improve fuel efficiency and comply with BSV emissions regulations as well as alternative fuels that include hydrogen. If our engines embody sustainability, then our customers, the OEMs, can also achieve sustainability. We are participating in the Indian market with this intention, which holds various possibilities.

We are ready with alternate fuels such as HVO adapted to European standards and micro hybrid technology. At bauma, we showcased our future technology and innovations to OEMs in India with products like our Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (HICE) and CEV BSV Engine in the 37kW to 55kW range.