Wing Commander Andy Green, OBE, has set a new world land speed record of 406.320 miles per hour in the JCB Hydromax, a hydrogen-powered supercar. The vehicle, developed by the UK-based machinery giant JCB, achieved the milestone on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
The previous class record for a hydrogen-powered engine stood at 185 mph, making Green's achievement a significant leap forward. Green, a former Royal Air Force fighter pilot, previously set the overall land speed record in 1997 at 763 mph with a jet-engine-powered car.
JCB, a company renowned for its construction and agricultural equipment, has been investing heavily in hydrogen combustion engine technology. Lord Anthony Bamford, chairman of JCB, has personally committed over $132 million in the last five years to developing these engines, which emit water vapor instead of carbon dioxide.
JCB's focus on modified internal-combustion engines for hydrogen power stems from their assessment that fuel cell technology was too complex and costly for their heavy machinery applications. The company aims to integrate these hydrogen engines into a substantial portion of its fleet.
This speed record demonstration is part of a broader strategy for JCB, which is also expanding its U.S. presence with a new $500 million, one-million-square-foot factory in San Antonio, Texas. The increased investment in the Texas facility, partly driven by anticipated import tariffs, will focus on manufacturing equipment for the American market and is expected to employ approximately 1,500 people. This expansion aligns with JCB's long-term vision of producing more 'Made in America' machines powered by next-generation engines.
JCB has a history of using speed records to highlight its technological advancements. In 2006, the company set the world's fastest diesel-powered vehicle record at 350 mph with its Dieselmax streamliner, also driven by Green. The company produces around 400 engines daily, with over one million currently in operation globally, and has moved from prototype hydrogen engines in late 2020 to fully approved working engines for equipment.