JCB Hydromax Sets World Hydrogen Land Speed Record at 406 mph

JCB's Hydromax streamliner has set a new FIA world land speed record for a hydrogen-powered car, averaging 406.320 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Wing Commander Andy Green drove the twin-engined machine to the mark on 11 August, recording passes of 400.623 mph and 412.135 mph in opposite directions to secure the official average. The result more than doubles the previous hydrogen combustion benchmark and establishes Hydromax as the fastest hydrogen vehicle of any kind in history.

Why it matters:

• The record erases the 185.5 mph mark set by BMW's H2R in 2004 and tops the 303 mph fuel cell barrier, showing hydrogen combustion can deliver serious speed.
• FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hailed the run as evidence that motorsport remains a catalyst for sustainable technology, pairing performance with zero tailpipe emissions.
• Because the engines are production-based units already powering JCB diggers, the achievement shows that hydrogen performance is available today, not just in theory.

The details:

• Powertrain: Two JCB 4.8-litre hydrogen engines, each producing around 800 bhp, deliver a combined 1,600 bhp. They are manufactured in Derbyshire and share their architecture with current production models.
• The runs: Under FIA rules, both passes had to be completed in opposite directions within one hour. Green's two-way average comfortably cleared the old record.
• Deja vu on the salt: In August 2006, Green set the diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph at Bonneville in JCB's Dieselmax. Twenty years later, he returned to the same flats for another JCB milestone.
• Stepping stone: During Bonneville Speed Week, Hydromax posted an SCTA class record of 368.347 mph in the Blown Gas Streamliner category before the official FIA attempt.

What's next:

The record awaits final FIA ratification, but the technical statement has already been made. JCB's £100 million hydrogen program gains a powerful real-world example, and the company is expected to leverage the success to push hydrogen combustion deeper into industrial and automotive markets. For the wider motorsport world, the run strengthens the case that sustainable powertrains do not require sacrificing outright pace.