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JCB Hydromax sets provisional 406 mph hydrogen land speed record at Bonneville
Andy Green drives the hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax to 406.320 mph in Utah, shattering the previous 2004 benchmark subject to official FIA ratification.
By Ruben Smit - 2026-08-11T18:29:00.000Z - 2 min read
A new milestone in hydrogen propulsion has been registered on the salt flats of Utah, where the JCB Hydromax achieved a provisional FIA World Land Speed Record for hydrogen internal combustion vehicles. Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green, the machine clocked an average speed of 406.320 mph (653.909 km/h) across the flying mile at Bonneville. The performance easily eclipsed the previous benchmark of 185.5 mph set by BMW’s H2R back in 2004.
Ratification now rests with the FIA Land Speed Records Commission following oversight from the governing body, its American member club ACCUS, and local marshals. Standard regulations demanded two opposing passes along the measured distance within a strict timeframe, with the official figure calculated from the average velocity of both runs. Technical scrutineering, independent timing, and safety checks were conducted on site throughout the attempt.
Underneath the streamlined bodywork sits production-based hardware rather than a bespoke racing engine. Power came from the same hydrogen combustion architecture developed for industrial equipment, emerging from a £100 million engineering project that has produced over 200 zero-emission units. According to JCB chairman Lord Bamford, demonstrating that standard commercial engine designs can operate reliably at extreme velocities was central to the effort.
Behind the wheel, Green added another entry to a distinguished career on the salt. Two decades after piloting the diesel-powered JCB Dieselmax to 350.092 mph at the same venue, the former RAF pilot returned to push hydrogen tech into uncharted territory. Green, who also retains the outright land speed record of 763.035 mph set with the supersonic ThrustSSC in 1997, described the vehicle as remarkably stable during its high-speed passes.
The attempt also provided practical validation for the FIA’s ongoing technical evaluation of alternative fuels. Although the World Motor Sport Council approved liquid hydrogen storage as the primary standard for future circuit competition in early 2024, regulatory authorities granted a specific exemption for land speed attempts, permitting both gaseous and liquid storage configurations due to the unique straight-line environment.
Data collected from the run feeds into safety parameters and technical frameworks monitored by the FIA Technical and Safety Department. While future championship regulations lean toward liquid storage, telemetry from gaseous systems remains directly applicable to emerging categories such as the Extreme H World Cup. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem noted that the successful run demonstrates how zero-emission technology can deliver extreme performance under rigorous competitive testing.