JCB’s hydrogen-powered Hydromax streamliner has achieved an SCTA speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
The model reached 368.347mph at the land speed racing event. Driven by wing commander Andy Green OBE, the car set a new record in the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) Blown Gas Streamliner (AA/BGS, 500+ cubic inches) class.
The success came as the firm gears up for an official FIA world record attempt next week.
The run was completed as part of the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) Bonneville Speed Week, which requires teams to make two runs on consecutive days and takes the average of the maximum speeds reached.
“To reach 368.347mph is a fantastic achievement for the whole JCB Hydromax team,” said JCB chairman Lord Bamford. “It shows just what JCB’s hydrogen engines are capable of ahead of our outright FIA world record attempt. This project is about proving that hydrogen power can perform at the very highest level with zero emissions, and today’s result is powerful evidence of that.”
Andy Green added, “It has been an absolute joy to be back on the salt, racing at Speed Week alongside some incredible teams. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the home of the World Land Speed Record, where racers get to push the boundaries of physics and innovation. This record has given all of us huge confidence in the car, the team and the quality of the engineering. With our first record in the bag, we’re now turning up the power on the engines, aiming to go even faster next week.”
The 32-foot-long twin-engined JCB Hydromax recorded a speed of 367.141mph on day one, and a maximum speed of 369.554mph on day two, giving an average speed of 368.347mph. The result surpasses the previous SCTA record of 348.342 mph set by the Spectre Streamliner in 2010. The JCB team is now focusing on next week’s outright Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) world record bid.
JCB Hydromax is powered by two of JCB’s own production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines. The speed attempt comes ahead of the opening of JCB’s $500 million, one million sq. ft, 400-acre factory in San Antonio, Texas, which will employ 1,500 people, manufacturing machines for the US market.
