If it can fly, why bother racing on the ground? Today, the JCB Hydromax set a new FIA World Land Speed Record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US using hydrogen power.
On its debut, this hydrogen-powered vehicle achieved an average speed of 400.623 mph (644.740 km/h). The car then turned around and drove in the opposite direction, ultimately reaching an astonishing average speed of 412.135 mph (663.267 km/h).
After averaging the two runs, the JCB Hydromax ultimately set a new world record with an average speed of 406.320 mph (653.909 km/h).
This result far exceeds the previous hydrogen-powered vehicle land speed record of 185.5 mph (298.5 km/h), and also breaks the 2006 world diesel-powered land speed record (set by the JCB Dieselmax at 350.092 mph, or 563.418 km/h).
The JCB Hydromax is 32 feet (9.75 meters) long and is powered by two JCB hydrogen fuel engines "based on mass-produced products," delivering 1,600 horsepower. JCB states that these engines are "the same as those used in the JCB construction machinery and equipment currently rolling off the production lines in the UK."
The company chairman stated: "Twenty years ago, we brought the JCB Dieselmax to the Bonneville Salt Flats to demonstrate what British engineering could achieve with diesel power. Today, we have done it again—this time using hydrogen-powered engines."
Notably, although the two records were set 20 years apart, both the Hydromax and the Dieselmax were driven by Andy Green, a retired Royal Air Force pilot who now holds the rank of Wing Commander.
He previously drove the ThrustSSC to a speed of 763.035 mph (1,227.986 km/h), becoming the fastest person on Earth and the only person to date to break the sound barrier on land.
After setting the new record, Andy Green said: "This car (Hydromax) performed exceptionally well—stable, powerful, and incredibly fast. It is a great honor for me to set the world land speed record again with a hydrogen-powered vehicle, 20 years after Dieselmax set its record."
