Driven by land speed legend and retired Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, a hydrogen-powered streamliner has set a new speed record of 653.87km/h at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, according to JCB. The achievement eclipses the previous hydrogen internal-combustion benchmark of 298.5km/h set by BMW’s H2R in 2004, as reported by Forbes, though the result remains subject to official ratification.
The Record-Breaking Run on the Bonneville Salt Flats
The purpose-built 10-meter-long vehicle, named the Hydromax streamliner, recorded an average speed of 644km/h on its first run and 663km/h on its second, according to JCB. Land speed record rules dictate that official marks are based on the average of two runs in opposite directions completed within a one-hour window. The vehicle recently achieved an SCTA speed record of 368.347mph during the Southern California Timing Association’s Bonneville Speed Week, according to Project Plant, prior to pushing for the higher international benchmark.
“It’s magic to be able to showcase this technology and to showcase how good the engineering is on the best racing surface in the world, Bonneville Salt Flats,” Green told the Associated Press after the run. The vehicle bears little resemblance to a conventional road car, utilizing twin hydrogen internal combustion engines mounted ahead and behind the driver to produce a combined 1,600 horsepower, according to JCB.
Hydrogen Internal Combustion Versus Electric and Diesel Benchmarks
The new benchmark marks a significant milestone for hydrogen-powered transport, though it remains well short of the outright world land speed record, according to the Guardian. That absolute global record was set almost 30 years ago when Green drove the jet-powered Thrust SSC to 1,227.985km/h in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in 1997, becoming the first person to officially break the sound barrier on land, as reported by the Associated Press.
Comparing the new Hydromax run to past efforts highlights a deliberate engineering pivot toward zero-emission heavy machinery. “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,” JCB chairman Anthony Bamford said, as reported by Newstalk ZB. Bamford emphasized that the Hydromax relies on production-based engines identical to those powering JCB diggers today.
Pro Tip: When analyzing land speed records set at Bonneville, verify whether the runs follow the SCTA multi-day average format or the strict one-hour, opposite-direction window required for international FIA ratification.
Future Outlook for Hydrogen Heavy Machinery
The successful speed runs arrive as JCB prepares for an official Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) world record attempt, according to Project Plant. The company is also gearing up for the opening of a $500 million, one million-square-foot factory in San Antonio, Texas, designed to employ 1,500 people and manufacture machines for the US market.
“With our first record in the bag, we’re now turning up the power on the engines, aiming to go even faster next week,” Green said, according to Project Plant. By using unmodified production architecture from standard heavy equipment, the engineering team aims to demonstrate that hydrogen combustion can deliver zero-emission performance at the highest operational levels.
Did You Know? The Southern California Timing Association’s Blown Gas Streamliner class requires competing teams to make runs on consecutive days, taking the average of the maximum speeds reached during those windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the previous hydrogen vehicle speed record?
The previous hydrogen internal-combustion record was 298.5km/h, set by BMW’s H2R in 2004, according to Forbes.
Who drove the Hydromax streamliner?
The vehicle was driven by Andy Green, a 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot and land speed legend who set the outright land speed record in 1997, according to the Associated Press and Newstalk ZB.
What engines power the JCB Hydromax?
The 10-meter streamliner is powered by two production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines producing a combined 1,600 horsepower, identical to the engines used in JCB diggers, according to JCB and Newstalk ZB.
Does the Hydromax hold the absolute world land speed record?
No. While it sets a new benchmark for hydrogen vehicles, it remains well short of the outright world land speed record of 1,227.985km/h set by Green in the Thrust SSC in 1997, according to the Guardian and the Associated Press.
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