British engineering giant JCB is aiming for a new world speed record with a 32-metre car powered by its hydrogen engines.
The Staffordshire-based manufacturer, which employs more than 20,000 people worldwide, has spent five years developing hydrogen internal combustion engines as part of a £100 million investment. JCB diggers powered by technology have just started rolling off the production lines.
Now, exactly 20 years after rewriting the record books with the JCB Dieselmax car, the company is returning to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to attempt a new speed record – this time using hydrogen power.
In August 2006, a JCB Dieselmax, piloted by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, set a diesel world speed record of 350.092 mph – a record that still stands today. In August this year, Green will take the wheel again, driving the hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax. The project led by JCB is supported by Prodrive and Ricardo.
JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who leads the company's hydrogen programme, said: “Britain has a proud history of setting speed records and, as a British company, I am delighted to be taking on a new challenge using hydrogen.
“The JCB Dieselmax was always an unusual idea – but it proved a point. Putting an advanced engine in a world speed car showed the world what it could do in a way that a digger couldn't. It's like thinking about hydrogen today. If you're serious about hydrogen, you have to be serious about hydrogen – and the world speed project is the perfect way to prove it.”
He added: “In terms of speed, we aim to have a JCB Hydromax – we aim to hit 350 mph.”
Andy Green, the world's fastest man at 763.035mph and the only person to break the sound barrier in the world, said: “Twenty years ago, JCB took two of its diesel engines, sprayed them with magic engineering dust and put them into a race car. The fastest diesel engine car in history Now we return to the Bonneville Salt Flats, the spiritual home of the World Land Speed Record, with new hydrogen engines of JCB.
“The 'JCB Hydromax' car is lighter, more powerful and faster than its predecessor 20 years ago. Once again, we're going to show the world just how good British engineering and technology is. In August we're going to break the hydrogen car record in the world's fastest (and most fun!) zero-emissions car.” I can't wait. I can't wait.
Testing will begin in the UK before the team heads to Bonneville SpeedWeek, the world's premier speed racing event, where competitors from around the world gather to chase records on the vast Salt Flats. The JCB Hydromax will be powered by two production-based hydrogen engines, producing a combined 1,600 bhp. SpeedWeek is run by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), which administers and certifies the official class records at the event.
The team will then stay at Bonneville to pursue world records officially recognized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the world's governing body for automobiles.
JCB's speed effort comes ahead of the opening of the company's new $500 million, sq. ft million, 400-acre factory in San Antonio, Texas, which will employ 1,500 people, manufacturing equipment for the US market.
JCB has a long history of pushing the limits of speed. In 2019, the JCB Fastrac tractor was awarded the fastest tractor in the world at 135.191 mph, and in 2014 the JCB GT set the world record for the fastest backhoe loader at 72.58 mph.