JCB’s Hydromax has reached a new success as the engineering team gears up for the official FIA world record attempt occurring in August, 2026.
Piloted by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, who is also the world’s fastest man, JCB is attempting to break the FIA World Land Speed Record, but this time with hydrogen.
The record-breaking run was completed as part of the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) Bonneville Speed Week. Teams are required to make runs on two consecutive days and take the average of the maximum speed reached.
JCB’s Hydromax is reaching new possibilities during Bonneville Speed Week
During a recent attempt, the 32-foot-long, twin-engined JCB Hydromax recorded a speed of 367.141 mph, and then reached a maximum speed of 369.554 mph, giving an average speed of 368.347 mph, setting a new SCTA record on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The result surpasses the previous SCTA record of 348.342 mph set by the Spectre Streamliner in 2010, marking the first time in 16 years the class record has been broken.
With the SCTA challenge behind it and valuable data gathered, the JCB team is now focusing on next week’s outright Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) world record bid, where the JCB Hydromax will attempt to write a new chapter in hydrogen-powered motorsport history.
JCB Hydromax is powered by two of JCB’s own production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines. With the engines now being turned up towards their full combined output of 1,600hp, the team will look to build on this SCTA record as it prepares for the FIA record attempt next week.
Bonneville Speed Week is run by the SCTA, which governs and verifies official class records at the event. Following Speed Week, the JCB Hydromax team is remaining at Bonneville to pursue officially recognized world records under the FIA, the global governing body for motorsport. The JCB Hydromax team has been running to a strict test program, completing 44 runs to date, building speed and confidence in the car as they push the limits of hydrogen combustion technology.
JCB has previously beaten multiple speed records
JCB has a long history of pushing the limits of speed. In 2006, JCB’s Dieselmax streamliner clinched the world diesel land speed record, reaching 350.092 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats powered by two JCB diesel engines. 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.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “To reach 368.347mph is a fantastic achievement for the whole JCB Hydromax team. It shows just what JCB’s hydrogen engines are capable of ahead of our outright FIA world record attempt. This project is about proving that hydrogen power can perform at the very highest level with zero emissions, and today’s result is powerful evidence of that.”
Andy Green, the fastest man on earth at 763.035 mph and the only person to break the sound barrier on land, said: “It has been an absolute joy to be back on the salt, racing at Speed Week alongside some incredible teams. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the home of the World Land Speed Record, where racers get to push the boundaries of physics and innovation. This record has given all of us huge confidence in the car, the team and the quality of the engineering. With our first record in the bag, we’re now turning up the power on the engines, aiming to go even faster next week.”
JCB Hydromax Project Leader Ryan Ballard said: “Speed Week is one of the most iconic and respected events in world motorsport, bringing together competitors from around the globe who share a passion for pushing the boundaries of engineering and performance. “We are immensely grateful to the Southern California Timing Association for the professionalism, expertise and enthusiasm with which they organise this unique event. The SCTA’s commitment to land speed racing has created a platform where innovation can thrive, and records can be challenged. It has been a privilege for JCB to compete here, and we’d like to thank everyone involved for making us feel so welcome as we strive towards even greater achievements on the Salt Flats.”
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