JCB Hydromax hits 177 mph in hydrogen land speed record push

JCB’s hydrogen-powered land speed car reached 177 mph in testing at RAF Wittering as the British engineering company moves toward a Bonneville attempt next month. The project is a high-profile test of hydrogen combustion technology, with the team aiming to break JCB’s own diesel land speed record and win FIA recognition. Why it matters: - JCB is trying to prove hydrogen internal combustion engines can perform in one of motorsport’s toughest environments. - The project could help validate the company’s hydrogen engine technology beyond construction machinery and into extreme-performance applications. - A successful run would also add to JCB’s record-setting history and support its broader push into hydrogen-powered equipment. What happened: - JCB said the Hydromax land speed car reached 177 mph during testing at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire, England, driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE. - The car is now complete and in full testing after its public unveiling at JCB’s World HQ in Staffordshire on May 12. - Next month, JCB will fly the car to Bonneville, Utah, for record attempts on the Salt Flats, including a bid for an FIA world hydrogen land speed record. - JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford has led a £100 million investment in hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines, and JCB diggers using the technology are now rolling off production lines. The details: - The JCB Hydromax uses two JCB production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined output of 1,600 bhp. - The car is built on production hardware, including the same crankshaft JCB uses in its 448 hydrogen and diesel engines. - Engineers used around one kilometre of wiring and extensive 3D-printed components to keep weight down and packaging tight. - The pistons need one litre of cooling oil every second, equal to the oil flow for the rest of the engine combined. - A specially developed exhaust valve technology manages the temperatures created by 1,600 bhp of hydrogen combustion. - Each titanium turbo compressor spins at more than 150,000 rpm at close to 300°C and pumps the equivalent of a standard bathtub of air every half-second. - On a full record run, the car will consume just over two kilograms of hydrogen and produce 18 litres of water. - The UK test programme is loading the powertrain, four-wheel-drive transmission, clutch, brakes, cooling system and bespoke control electronics for the first time. - The team is also rehearsing hydrogen refuelling, pit stops and tyre changes before Bonneville. - JCB said the project’s technical partners included Prodrive, Ricardo and Xtrac, with the first partner meeting held on June 5, 2025. - The 32-foot car’s first run under its own hydrogen power took place at RAF Wittering almost a year later. - At Bonneville, Green will drive the car during SpeedWeek, run by the Southern California Timing Association, before the team pursues officially recognized world records under the FIA. - Green previously drove JCB Dieselmax to the FIA world diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph at Bonneville in August 2006, a record that still stands. - JCB says Hydromax is lighter, more powerful and faster than Dieselmax. - The record push comes ahead of JCB’s new $500 million factory in San Antonio, Texas, which will be 1 million square feet on a 400-acre site and employ 1,500 people making machines for the US market. - JCB’s earlier speed milestones include the 2019 Fastrac tractor record of 135.191 mph and the 2014 JCB GT backhoe loader record of 72.58 mph. Between the lines: - The project is as much a proof point for JCB’s hydrogen engineering strategy as it is a pure speed campaign. - Using production-based engines and components gives the effort a commercial angle that goes beyond a one-off record car. - The company is trying to show hydrogen combustion can be practical, durable and fast enough for real-world industrial use, not just laboratory testing. What’s next: - The Hydromax team will continue UK testing before shipping the car to Bonneville next month. - JCB plans to use the Salt Flats to pursue both its hydrogen land speed record attempt and other officially recognized FIA record runs. - The company expects Bonneville preparation to determine whether the crew can complete a full record attempt under race conditions.