Hydrogen, hybrids the highlights for Kubota

Paving its path toward carbon neutrality, Kubota is showcasing a number of new developments at ConExpo, including a new 3.8 L hydrogen engine.

Kubota’s new 3.8 L hydrogen engine. (Photo: Kubota)

The new hydrogen engine is based on the company’s WG3800 spark-ignited engine. The inline four-cylinder unit has a displacement of 3.8 L and delivers 114 hp (85 kW), which the company said is the power required for a 45 kVA generator. The engine maintains the variety of accessory locations and the overall footprint of the existing WG3800 engine.

Kubota is also showing two new hybrid engine systems. The D1803 P1 Hybrid incorporates an integrated motor generator embedded within the flywheel housing. The motor only assists for the brief periods in which high output is required, Kubota said.

The switch between engine and electric motor drive will also come into play with Kubota’s D1105 P2 Hybrid. The engine was first introduced at the Bauma 2022 show in Germany. Offering a rated output of 28.4 HP (18.5 kW) at 3000 rpm, the D1105 P2 Hybrid also offers the ability to transition between diesel engine drive and electric motor drive while in operation. In areas where emissions or noise are a concern, the engine can be stopped and switched to the electric motor. The start of production on the D1105 P2 Hybrid is scheduled for 2025.

Along with its new hybrids, Kubota will also display its V3307 Micro-Hybrid that was first unveiled at ConExpo 2020 and will be in production later this year. The system combines a 74 hp V3307 diesel with an ac synchronous motor-generator, a dc/dc converter and a 48 V lithium-ion battery.

Along with the 3.8-liter hydrogen engine, Kubota also announced that the use of HVO is approved for Kubota diesel engines in the United States. Earlier the company said that all of its diesel engines in Europe were approved to use paraffin-based fuels that comply with European standard EN15940 that permits the use of gas to liquid (GTL) and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuels complying with the standard, enabling a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 90% with no engine modifications needed. Now the fuels have been approved for Kubota engines in  North America.

Other Kubota engines on display include:

• the D902-K three-cylinder diesel engine with TVCR combustion system, a displacement of 0.898 L and an output of 24.8 hp (18.5 kW) at a rated speed of 3600 rpm;
• the D1105-K three-cylinder engine with TVCR combustion system, an output of 24.8 hp (18.5 kW) at 3000 rpm and 1.123 L displacement;
• and Kubota’s first diesel engine rated above 100 hp, the 210 hp, Tier 4/Stage V-compliant V5009.

See Kubota at ConExpo booth S84415