Twenty years after setting the land speed record for a diesel-powered car, Andy Green is returning to Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats to chase another record, this time with a hydrogen-powered vehicle. The retired Royal Air Force fighter pilot aims to reach speeds that not only surpass his previous diesel record of 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) but also the existing world records for hydrogen internal combustion engines (185.5 mph/298.5 kph) and electric vehicles (341.3 mph/549.2 kph).
Green will drive the JCB Hydromax, a 32-foot-long vehicle developed by British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The car is equipped with two hydrogen internal combustion engines, adapted from construction machinery, that generate a combined 1,600 horsepower. These engines mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to produce power.
"What the peak speed is, I can’t say. We just don’t know. Part of the adventure here is we’re going to find out," Green stated. During practice runs last week, he achieved a speed of 368.347 mph (592.797 kph). Official record validation requires a run in front of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the international governing body for motorsports.
This endeavor also serves as a platform to promote hydrogen as a clean-energy alternative. "If you’re serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen, and a land speed project is the perfect way to prove it," said JCB Chair Anthony Bamford. JCB has invested over $134 million in hydrogen-powered engines, asserting they produce no carbon dioxide emissions from the tailpipe and can meet the demands of heavy industries better than electric power.
However, the environmental impact of hydrogen is contingent on its production source. The majority of hydrogen is currently derived from fossil fuels. JCB has secured a supply of "green hydrogen," produced using renewable energy, though this constitutes a small portion of global production.
Hydrogen combustion engines also present safety considerations due to the gas's pressure and flammability. Green acknowledged these risks, stating, "We're managing the risks very carefully." The Hydromax underwent extensive testing, and Green spent months familiarizing himself with its performance, engine synchronization, and parachute deployment on the low-friction salt surface.
Green's past achievements include setting the outright land speed record in 1997 at 763.035 mph (1,227.98 kph) in a jet-powered car, becoming the first and only person to break the sound barrier on land. The 64-year-old driver came out of retirement for this project after being approached by JCB.
The Bonneville Salt Flats, a remnant of a prehistoric lake bed, has been a site for land speed record attempts since 1914. The location offers a vast, flat expanse ideal for high-speed runs, though it has also seen tragedy. Last year, driver Chris Raschke died from injuries sustained during an attempt at Bonneville's annual Speed Week.
Green's attempt is scheduled to begin shortly after sunrise to mitigate the desert heat.