British heavy equipment manufacturer JCB has claimed a new world land speed record with a hydrogen-powered vehicle. The JCB Hydromax reached an average speed of 406.320mph across two runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats. This achievement makes it the fastest hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion vehicle ever recorded.
The record is currently subject to final ratification by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), though the speed has already been officially recorded. The Hydromax far surpassed the previous hydrogen record of 185.5mph, which was set by the BMW H2R concept car in 2004. That record had stood for two decades before the British manufacturer’s entry eclipsed it.
JCB also eclipsed its own past performance with this run. The new speed beats the company’s previous diesel land speed record of 350.092mph. That milestone was set by the JCB Dieselmax in August 2006 at the same location.
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A Veteran Driver Behind the Wheel
Wing Commander Andy Green OBE was responsible for steering the Hydromax to the new record. He brings more than 20 years of land speed experience to the team. Green is the only person to ever break the sound barrier on land, a feat he accomplished with the legendary Thrust SSC. He also set the earlier JCB Dieselmax record, making this his second major achievement with the company.
“Bonneville is the spiritual home of the world land speed record, and JCB Hydromax has just written itself into that history,” Green said following the run. He described the car as “terrific – stable, strong and fast.” He added that setting a world land speed record with hydrogen power, 20 years after Dieselmax, is a huge privilege. Green credited the result to a world-class team and superb technology.
This achievement bridges the gap between industrial utility and high-performance motorsport in a way that few other technologies have managed. By proving that a standard-issue engine can survive the physical demands of a land speed record, the manufacturer provides a tangible proof point for an industry that is often skeptical of hydrogen’s reliability outside of controlled laboratory environments.
Engineering Under the Hood
The vehicle was powered by two of JCB’s own hydrogen digger engines. These four-cylinder hydrogen-fuelled units are manufactured at the company’s factory in Foston, Derbyshire. Each engine generates 800hp, resulting in a combined output of 1,600hp. The Hydromax output is more than twice the amount available in the Dieselmax.
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Lord Bamford, the JCB Chairman, emphasized the practical nature of the technology used in the attempt. “Twenty years ago we came to Bonneville with JCB Dieselmax and showed what British engineering could do with diesel power,” he stated. “Today we have done it again — this time with engines powered by hydrogen.”
Bamford noted that the record was set by production-based engines. They are the same engines currently powering JCB diggers. “That is the point of JCB Hydromax: it shows hydrogen works, and it works today at the highest level with zero emissions,” he said.
The announcement arrives alongside the company’s expansion plans in the United States. JCB is preparing to open a new factory in San Antonio, Texas. The facility is set to employ 1,500 people to build machines for the American market.