JCB is celebrating after setting a new world land speed record with its hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax.
The car recorded the average speed 400.623 mph in its first run across the Bonneville Salt Flats, and 412.135 mph on its second run, giving the average of 406.320 mph – the fastest a hydrogen internal combustion car has ever travelled.
Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the twin engined, 32-foot car completed the two runs required under FIA rules, comfortably beating the previous FIA-officiated hydrogen internal combustion benchmark of 185.5 mph set by the BMW H2R in 2004. The record is subject to official ratification by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motorsport.
In doing so, JCB Hydromax surpassed the 350.092 mph world diesel land speed record set by JCB Dieselmax — also driven by Green, on the same salt, in August 2006. The speed also exceeds the 303 mph hydrogen fuel cell mark — making JCB Hydromax the fastest hydrogen-powered vehicle of any kind in history.
The record was set using two of JCB’s own production-based hydrogen digger engines, producing a combined 1,600 bhp and manufactured at the company’s factory in Foston, Derbyshire. They are the same engines now powering JCB machines and equipment rolling off production lines as part of JCB’s £100 million hydrogen programme.
JCB chairman Anthony Bamford has led JCB’s hydrogen engine project and came up with the idea of a hydrogen world land speed record bid last year. He said, “20 years ago we came to Bonneville with JCB Dieselmax and showed what British engineering could do with diesel power. Today we have done it again — this time with engines powered by hydrogen. This record was set by production-based engines, the same engines powering JCB diggers right now. That is the point of JCB Hydromax: it shows hydrogen works, and it works today at the highest level with zero emissions.”
JCB engineering director Ryan Ballard added, “This record belongs to the engineering team which took a hydrogen digger engine and made it the fastest of its kind on earth. This has been an amazing challenge from the outset of the it being set in February last year. We came here fully prepared, and the car delivered.”
The record comes ahead of the opening of JCB’s new $500 million factory in San Antonio, Texas, which will employ 1,500 people manufacturing machines for the US market.
