Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, a former Royal Air Force fighter pilot and the only person to have broken the sound barrier in a car, has set a new land speed record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle. He achieved a speed of 406.320 mph (653.908 kph) in JCB's 1,600 bhp Hydromax streamliner on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, less than two weeks after his 64th birthday.
The record, verified by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), was set on Tuesday using a vehicle powered by two hydrogen combustion engines developed by JCB. These engines, adapted from those used in JCB's construction machinery, mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to generate power. The achievement is seen as a significant endorsement for hydrogen technology.
"It's magic to be able to showcase this technology and demonstrate just how good the engineering is on the best racing surface in the world, Bonneville Salt Flats," Green told The Associated Press. He noted that the conditions inside the cockpit were challenging, with temperatures exceeding 122F (50C), but he had prepared through months of physical training.
This latest record surpasses the previous hydrogen combustion record of 185.5 mph set by BMW's H2R in 2004. It also marks a return to the Bonneville Salt Flats for Green, who holds the diesel land speed record, set at 350.092 mph in a JCB Dieselmax in 2006.
While the 406.320 mph speed is considerably less than Green's outright land speed record of 763.035 mph set in the jet-powered Thrust SSC in 1997, JCB believes the Hydromax achievement highlights hydrogen's potential for heavy industry. JCB Chairman Lord Bamford has long advocated for hydrogen as a viable alternative to battery-electric power for construction and agricultural machinery. The Hydromax is powered by production-based engines that JCB is currently rolling out for its larger vehicles.
JCB has committed to using green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy, for its operations. However, the company acknowledges that most hydrogen production currently relies on fossil fuels. The Hydromax streamliner itself is 32 feet long and utilizes two 800 bhp hydrogen digger engines. The successful run demonstrates the viability of hydrogen as a zero-emission power source at high performance levels.