JCB's Hydromax has set a new hydrogen combustion land speed record of 406.320mph at Bonneville, smashing the previous mark set by BMW in 2004
JCB has set a new world land speed record for a hydrogen internal-combustion vehicle, with its Hydromax reaching an average 406.320mph (653.7km/h) across Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.
Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the twin-engined, 32-foot streamliner recorded 400.623mph on its first run and 412.135mph on the return run.
The speed comfortably eclipses the previous FIA-recognised hydrogen internal-combustion record of 185.5mph, set by the BMW H2R in 2004. It also surpasses JCB’s own 350.092mph diesel record, established by Andy in the Dieselmax at Bonneville in 2006.
Hydromax is powered by two production-based JCB hydrogen engines manufactured at the company’s Foston, Derbyshire, factory, producing a combined 1600hp. JCB says the engines are the same basic units now being used in its production machines as part of its £100 million hydrogen programme.
The latest achievement follows a 368.347mph SCTA record set by Hydromax during Bonneville Speed Week recently.
JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who initiated the project, said the record demonstrated the potential of hydrogen combustion using production-based engines.
The achievement adds another entry to JCB’s speed-record history, which includes the Dieselmax, the 135.191mph Fastrac tractor record set in 2019, and a 72.58mph backhoe-loader record in 2014.
