British engineering firm JCB has set a new world land speed record of 406.320 mph for hydrogen-powered vehicles with its hydrogen-fueled JCB Hydromax.

The car recorded an average speed of 400.623 mph in its first run across the Bonneville Salt Flats, and 412.135 mph on its second run, giving an 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-ft. car completed the two runs required under FIA rules––one in each direction within an hour––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––set in the Category A, Group XIV, Class 7 FIA World Flying Record Start Land Speed Record––was set using two of JCB's own production-based hydrogen digger engines, producing a combined 1,600 hp and manufactured at the company's engine factory in Foston, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. They are the same engines now powering JCB machines and equipment rolling off production lines in the UK as part of the company's $135 million hydrogen program.

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 early last year. "Twenty 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," Bamford said. "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."

"Bonneville is the spiritual home of the world land speed record, and JCB Hydromax has just written itself into that history," said Green. The car was terrific––stable, strong and fast. Setting a world land speed record with hydrogen power, twenty years after Dieselmax, is a huge privilege. This record is a huge achievement by a world-class team and superb technology."

 "This is a truly historic milestone for motorsport, showcasing how innovation, performance, speed, and sustainability can go hand in hand," said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. "Motorsport has always been a catalyst for technological progress, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. This new land speed record continues this tradition, showcasing the potential of hydrogen combustion for the future of sustainable mobility."

Wing Commander Andy Green is the fastest man on earth at 763.035 mph, the only person to break the sound barrier on land, and was the driver of JCB Dieselmax when it set the FIA world diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph at Bonneville in August 2006. That record still stands.

Prior to the record-setting run, the JCB Hydromax broke through the 368.347 mph barrier as part of the Southern California Timing Association's (SCTA) Bonneville Speed Week, setting a new SCTA record in the Blown Gas Streamliner class (AA/BGS, 500-plus cubic inches) of 368.347 mph, a major milestone in the car's development program.

Image courtesy of JCB