- JCB Hydromax set provisional FIA land speed record at 406.320 mph on Bonneville Flats
- Hydromax completed two opposite runs averaging 406.320 mph under FIA regulations
- Record surpasses 2004 BMW H2R hydrogen record of 185.5 mph and JCB's 2006 diesel record
The hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax has set a provisional FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile or International Automobile Federation) world land speed record after reaching an average speed of 406.320 mph, or approximately 653.9 kmph, on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. The British-built streamliner was driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, who previously set JCB's diesel land speed record with the Dieselmax.
Two-Way Average
The 32-foot Hydromax completed two runs in opposite directions within one hour, as required under FIA regulations. It recorded 400.623 mph (644 kmph) on its first run and 412.135 mph (663 kmph) on the return run. The combined average over the flying kilometre was 406.320 mph.
The result remains subject to final ratification by the FIA's Land Speed Records Commission. Once confirmed, it will replace the previous hydrogen internal-combustion record of 185.5 mph (298 kmph), set by the BMW H2R in 2004.
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The Hydromax also surpassed JCB's own diesel record of 350.092 mph (563 kmph), achieved by Green in the Dieselmax at Bonneville in 2006. The latest run additionally exceeded the previous 303 mph (486 kmph) hydrogen fuel-cell record, making the Hydromax the fastest hydrogen-powered vehicle recorded by JCB's assessment.
Hydrogen Combustion Engines
Unlike a fuel-cell vehicle, the Hydromax uses hydrogen in internal-combustion engines. It is powered by two production-based hydrogen engines derived from units developed for JCB construction equipment.
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Together, the engines produce around 1,600 bhp. JCB says they are based on the same hydrogen combustion technology used in its construction machinery programme, which forms part of the company's £100 million investment in hydrogen engine development.
The engines burn pressurised hydrogen with air, rather than using hydrogen to generate electricity through a fuel cell. JCB says the system produces no carbon dioxide at the vehicle's tailpipe, although the wider environmental impact depends on how the hydrogen is produced.
A Familiar Driver
Wing Commander Andy Green has a long association with high-speed record attempts. He remains the only person to have driven a land vehicle through the sound barrier, having reached 763.035 mph (1227 kmph) in the jet-powered Thrust SSC in 1997. He also piloted the Dieselmax during its 2006 record-setting run.
Before the FIA attempt, the Hydromax reached 368.347mph at the Southern California Timing Association's Bonneville Speed Week. That performance established a new SCTA mark in the Blown Gas Streamliner class and served as an important test ahead of the official record bid.