JCB Hydromax sets land speed record for hydrogen-powered cars

The overall record for a wheeled vehicle over a timed mile remains the 763.6 mph (1,229 km/h) two-way average set by Thrust SSC in 1997. That vehicle was powered by jet engines, not hydrogen. JCB's new mark is for hydrogen-powered cars, a category that has seen limited development. The exact speed of the JCB Hydromax was not disclosed in the article. The report also notes that a prior attempt to break the overall record, the Bloodhound project aiming for 1,000 mph (1,609 km/h), ended when funding ran out.

JCB is a UK-based manufacturer of heavy industrial and agricultural equipment, including diggers, loaders, backhoes and tractors. According to Ars Technica, JCB's UK base means it cannot ignore carbon emission targets and must develop alternatives to diesel engines. The company initially explored fuel cells for some products, but after building prototypes concluded that the technology was too expensive and too fragile for use on farms or construction sites. In 2020, JCB began developing its own hydrogen combustion engine.

Burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine is not a new idea, but it has rarely been successful. In 2006, BMW modified a naturally aspirated V12 engine in a 7 Series to run on hydrogen. It ran, but delivered only 60 percent of the power and consumed five times as much fuel as when running on gasoline. More recently, Toyota president Akio Toyoda has driven an experimental hydrogen-burning Toyota Corolla in Japanese endurance races. In that case, the car started with the GR Corolla's turbocharged three-cylinder engine, with the forced induction partially compensating for hydrogen's reduced energy density.

The JCB Hydromax's run took place on the Bonneville Salt Flats, a site long used for land speed attempts. Further technical details about the vehicle were not provided in the report.