JCB Hydromax Shatters Hydrogen Car World Record: 653 km/h

JCB, the heavy equipment company that also sponsors Aston Martin in F1, has broken the world land speed record for a hydrogen-powered car. The Hydromax, a streamliner powered by two hydrogen engines, averaged 406.320 mph (653 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.

Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the fastest man on earth, drove the 32-foot machine on 11 August. He clocked 400.623 mph on the first run and 412.135 mph on the second. Under FIA rules, both runs must be completed in opposite directions within one hour, and the average of the two determines the official record speed.

The result demolished the previous FIA-officiated hydrogen internal combustion benchmark of 185.5 mph, set by the BMW H2R in 2004, more than doubling it. It also surpassed the 303 mph hydrogen fuel cell mark, making Hydromax the fastest hydrogen-powered vehicle of any kind in history. The record is subject to official ratification by the FIA.

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FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hailed the achievement as a major moment for both motorsport and sustainable technology. "This is a truly historic milestone for motorsport, showcasing how innovation, performance, speed, and sustainability can go hand in hand," he said. "Motorsport has always been a catalyst for technological progress, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. This new land speed record continues this tradition, showcasing the potential of hydrogen combustion for the future of sustainable mobility."

The achievement carries a neat symmetry. In August 2006, Green drove the JCB Dieselmax to the world diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph on the same salt. That record still stands. Two decades later, JCB has beaten its own benchmark with an engine producing no CO₂ at the tailpipe.

Hydromax is powered by two of JCB's production-based 4.8-litre hydrogen engines, each tuned to approximately 800 bhp for a combined output of 1,600 bhp. The engines are manufactured at JCB's factory in Foston, Derbyshire, and share their core architecture with those now fitted to JCB diggers rolling off production lines as part of the company's £100 million hydrogen programme.

Green described the car as magnificent. "The car was magnificent, stable, strong and fast. To set a world record with hydrogen, 20 years after Dieselmax, is a privilege. In fact, the car was so good that I actually had to lift off the accelerator and slow down through the measured mile because we'd hit our limiting speed," he said.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford, who conceived the record bid early last year, framed the project as a showcase for hydrogen technology. "I am so proud that the JCB team has successfully set a new world land speed record for a hydrogen-powered car. This record was set by production-based engines, the same engines powering JCB diggers right now. It shows hydrogen works, and it works today at the highest level with zero emissions."

The record attempt followed a successful Bonneville Speed Week, during which Hydromax set an SCTA class record of 368.347 mph in the Blown Gas Streamliner category, a key stepping stone towards the headline-grabbing FIA run days later.