JCB Hydromax sets a 406.320mph hydrogen land speed record at Bonneville, showcasing its 1,600bhp production-based hydrogen engine technology and advancing cleaner construction equipment solutions.
By Robin Kumar Attri
JCB Hydromax set a 406.320mph hydrogen land speed record.
It used two hydrogen engines producing 1,600bhp combined.
The vehicle surpassed the previous 185.5mph hydrogen ICE record.
Andy Green OBE drove the 32-foot twin-engined Hydromax.
JCB has invested £100 million in hydrogen technology.
JCB Hydromax has created a new world land speed record for a hydrogen-powered internal combustion vehicle, reaching an incredible 406.320mph (653.6 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US. The record is subject to official ratification by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the twin-engined, 32-foot-long Hydromax completed two record runs. It achieved 400.623mph on its first run and 412.135mph on its second run. Under FIA rules, the two-way average of 406.320mph was taken as the official record speed.
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The new record is a major improvement over the previous FIA-officiated hydrogen internal combustion land speed record of 185.5mph, set by the BMW H2R in 2004.
The Hydromax has also beaten JCB's own diesel land speed record. In August 2006, JCB Dieselmax reached 350.092mph at Bonneville, with Andy Green also behind the wheel.
At 406.320mph, the Hydromax has further exceeded the previous 303mph hydrogen fuel-cell land speed mark, making it, according to JCB, the fastest hydrogen-powered vehicle of any type.
The JCB Hydromax is powered by two production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines, delivering a combined 1,600bhp.
These engines were manufactured at JCB's engine factory in Foston, Derbyshire, and are based on the same technology being used in JCB machines and equipment manufactured in the UK.
The engines are part of JCB's £100 million hydrogen programme. The company says it has already produced more than 150 hydrogen combustion engines, with the first hydrogen-powered machines now entering production.
JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who has led the company's hydrogen engine project, said the record attempt was designed to demonstrate the performance and potential of its production-based hydrogen combustion technology.
JCB began developing hydrogen-powered construction equipment in 2021, when it unveiled prototype hydrogen versions of a backhoe loader and Loadall telescopic handler.
Since then, a team of around 150 engineers has been working on the hydrogen engine programme as part of JCB's £100 million investment.
Before the latest record attempt, Hydromax had already reached 368.347mph during Bonneville Speed Week, setting an SCTA record in the Blown Gas Streamliner class.
The latest record attempt was carried out by the JCB engineering team led by Engineering Director Ryan Ballard, with Andy Green driving the vehicle. Green's previous Bonneville achievement came in 2006 when he drove JCB Dieselmax to its FIA world diesel land speed record of 350.092mph.
The Hydromax record was achieved under Category A, Group XIV, Class 7 of the FIA World Flying Record Start Land Speed Record classification.
The 406.320mph two-way average was calculated according to FIA requirements, with official ratification still pending.
The record comes shortly before the planned opening of JCB's new $500 million factory in San Antonio, Texas.
The facility is expected to employ around 1,500 people and will manufacture JCB machines for the US market.
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JCB Hydromax's 406.320mph run demonstrates the performance potential of hydrogen internal combustion engines beyond conventional construction applications. By using two production-based engines producing 1,600bhp, JCB has linked its high-speed record attempt directly to its wider hydrogen programme. With more than 150 hydrogen engines already produced and new machines entering production, the company is positioning hydrogen combustion as another potential pathway for lower-carbon construction equipment.
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