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JCB Hydromax’s hydrogen-powered land speed car shattered the world record on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, clocking an average speed of 406.320 mph across two runs. The twin-engined, 32-foot vehicle became the fastest hydrogen internal combustion car ever, obliterating the previous mark of 185.5 mph set by BMW’s H2R back in 2004. The record is now pending official confirmation from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), but the team is already calling it a defining moment for zero-carbon motorsport.
Wing Commander Andy Green, the driver who also holds the absolute land speed record of 763.035 mph, described the achievement as “extraordinary.” He highlighted that JCB Hydromax accomplished in just over a year what typically takes three to five years. The first design meeting was held only 12 months ago; the car was built in five weeks, tested for three weeks in the UK, and then flown straight to Bonneville. “Instead of five or six years, they did it in five or six days,” Green said.
The engineering challenges were immense. The car’s two hydrogen combustion engines had to be tuned for the high altitude (6,000–7,000 feet above sea level) and extreme heat (100–105°F) at the salt flats. To prevent the hydrogen from igniting prematurely, the intake air had to be cooled using about 400 pounds of ice and water. Engineers also had to heat the engine oil to 180°F so that any water that seeped into the engine would boil off instantly, avoiding bearing damage. “It’s a small angry molecule that loves to burn,” Green said of hydrogen.
Stopping a 5,500-pound car traveling at 400 mph required a custom parachute system. Green noted that the car’s parachute deployment was critical for safe deceleration, and the team executed both stops exactly as planned. On the first run, the car averaged 400.623 mph; on the second, it hit 412.135 mph, pushing the overall average to 406.320 mph. The measured mile was completed in under nine seconds.
Green, a former Royal Air Force jet fighter pilot, emphasized that this record is not just about speed—it’s a showcase of genuine zero-carbon technology. “You can make hydrogen from sunlight and water, put it in a race car and do 400 miles an hour,” he said. “That’s an exciting future for motorsport.” JCB Hydromax’s achievement also marks the creation of a new class at Bonneville Speed Week for hydrogen internal combustion cars, a category that is expected to grow as automakers explore hydrogen as a sustainable fuel.
The record-breaking run is part of JCB’s broader push to develop hydrogen combustion technology for construction equipment, making the Hydromax project a direct testbed for real-world applications. While the car itself is a one-off prototype, the engineering insights—especially around hydrogen engine cooling, oil management, and high-altitude performance—could influence future commercial vehicles. The FIA is expected to certify the record within weeks, but for the team, the mission is already accomplished: proving that hydrogen can power a car faster than any other internal combustion engine on the planet.
