JCB is returning to Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats this summer to target its own world diesel land speed record. This time Wing Commander Andy Green OBE will be driving the 32-foot JCB Hydromax powered by the OEM’s hydrogen engine. The U.K.-based manufacturer has spent five years developing hydrogen internal combustion engines as part of a £100 million investment, and JCB heavy equipment powered by the technology has just started rolling off production lines.
In August 2006, JCB Dieselmax, driven by Green, set the world diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph. This new JCB-led project is being supported by Prodrive and Ricardo.
JCB to showcase hydrogen engine capability with diesel record challenge
Testing will begin in the U.K. before the team heads to Bonneville SpeedWeek, a land speed racing event, where competitors from around the globe gather to chase records on the vast Salt Flats. JCB Hydromax will run with two production-based hydrogen engines, producing a combined 1,600 bhp. SpeedWeek is run by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), which governs and verifies official class records at the event.
The team will then remain at Bonneville to pursue officially recognised world records under the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motorsport.
JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who has spearheaded the company’s hydrogen program, said: “Britain has a proud heritage of setting speed records and, as a British company, I’m excited to challenge for a new one using hydrogen. This is not just about speed — it’s about showcasing the world-class engineering talent we have here in the U.K. and the robustness of our new hydrogen engines.”
“JCB Dieselmax was always a bit of an unusual idea — but it proved a point. Putting an advanced engine into a land-speed car showed the world what it could do in a way a digger never could. It’s the same thinking with hydrogen today. If you’re serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen — and a land-speed project is the perfect way to prove it.”
He added: “As for the speed, we’re aiming for with JCB Hydromax — we intend to beat 350 mph.”
The fastest man on Earth will pilot the JCB Hydromax
Andy Green, the fastest man on Earth driving at 763.035 mph and the only person to break the sound barrier on land, said: “Twenty years ago, JCB took two of its diesel engines, sprinkled some magic engineering dust on them and put them into a racing car. We raced the JCB Dieselmax up to an astonishing speed — and a new FIA world record — of just over 350 mph. Today, that car is still the fastest diesel-engined vehicle in history. Now we’re going back to the Bonneville Salt Flats, spiritual home of the World Land Speed Record, with JCB’s new hydrogen engines. “
“The JCB Hydromax car is lighter, more powerful, and faster than its predecessor of 20 years ago. Once again, we’re going to show the world just how good British engineering and technology really is. This August we’re going to smash the hydrogen-powered vehicle record in the world’s fastest (and most exciting!) zero-emissions vehicle. I can’t wait.”
Previous successful record attempts from JCB
JCB has a long history of pushing the limits of speed. In 2019, the JCB Fastrac tractor was crowned the world’s fastest tractor at 135.191 mph, while in 2014, the JCB GT set the world record for the fastest backhoe loader at 72.58 mph.
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