JCB has set a new world land speed record of 406.320mph with its hydrogen-powered Hydromax.
Driven by wing commander Andy Green OBE, the 32-foot car recorded an average speed 400.623mph in its first run across the Bonneville salt flats, and 412.135mph on its second run, giving the average of 406.320mph – the fastest a hydrogen internal combustion car has ever travelled.
Comfortably beating the previous FIA-officiated hydrogen internal combustion benchmark of 185.5mph set by the BMW H2R in 2004, the record was set using two of JCB’s own production-based hydrogen digger engines, producing a combined 1,600bhp.
Manufactured at the company’s engine plant in Foston, Derbyshire, they are the same engines now powering JCB machines and equipment rolling off production lines in the UK as part of the company’s £100 million hydrogen programme.
Mr Green was the driver of Dieselmax when it set the FIA world diesel land speed record of 350.092mph at Bonneville in August 2006. That record still stands.
JCB is no stranger to breaking records and in addition to the Dieselmax success, the Fastrac became the world’s fastest tractor at 135.191mph in 2019, and in 2014 the GT set the backhoe loader record at 72.58mph.
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