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Andy Green and JCB Set New Hydrogen Speed Record of 406 MPH

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Hydrogen power just had a very fast day in Utah. British land speed legend Andy Green drove the JCB Hydromax to an average of 406.320 MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting a new benchmark for a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

The record attempt took place on August 11, 2026, with the FIA overseeing proceedings. JCB said Green completed the required runs in opposite directions, producing an average speed of 406.320 MPH, or 653.909 KM/H. The result remains subject to formal ratification by the FIA Land Speed Records Commission.

However, the Hydromax does not use a hydrogen fuel cell to generate electricity for motors. Instead, two internal combustion engines burn hydrogen directly. Those engines produce a combined 1,600 HP, according to JCB. Even more striking, they have roots in the engines JCB develops for heavy construction equipment. The company used the record car to show how far its hydrogen combustion technology can stretch when engineers chase outright speed.

JCB Hydromax Turns Hydrogen Into 406 MPH

Times Driven / IG / The JCB Hydromax looks nothing like a construction machine. The streamlined car measures more than 9 meters long and has a narrow, pencil-shaped body designed to slice through the air.

Its bright yellow finish makes the JCB connection impossible to miss.

Underneath that slippery body sits a far more unusual power system. Two hydrogen combustion engines provide the muscle, delivering about 800 HP each. Together, they send 1,600 HP into a machine created for one job, covering ground at extraordinary speed.

Hydrogen combustion works differently from the fuel cell systems found in some experimental vehicles. A fuel cell uses hydrogen to produce electricity, which then powers an electric motor. JCB’s system burns hydrogen inside an engine using a process closer to conventional combustion.

The company has put serious money behind that argument. JCB has invested £100 million in its hydrogen engine program, with hundreds of engineers involved in development. The Hydromax takes that industrial technology far outside its normal working environment.

Andy Green Brings Serious Speed Record Experience

JCB also chose a driver who knows exactly what extreme speed feels like. Andy Green is a former Royal Air Force fighter pilot and one of the most famous names in land speed record history.

Green drove ThrustSSC to 763.035 MPH in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in 1997. That run made him the first person to officially break the sound barrier in a car, and his absolute world land speed record still stands nearly three decades later.

Driving the Hydromax presented a very different challenge. ThrustSSC relied on jet engines and produced vastly more power, while JCB’s new machine uses hydrogen-burning piston engines. Still, both vehicles demand careful control at speeds far beyond anything experienced on a public road.

At 406 MPH, the Hydromax covers more than six miles every minute. Tiny steering inputs matter, and changing surface conditions can affect stability. The driver must also follow a carefully planned acceleration and braking sequence while staying within the measured course.

Bonneville adds its own difficulties. The famous Utah salt flats have hosted speed record attempts for generations, but the surface changes with weather and seasonal conditions. Teams must monitor traction and course quality before sending a vehicle into a high-speed run.

The Record Gives Hydrogen Combustion a Big Test

E News / The Hydromax result stands far above earlier hydrogen speed benchmarks. BMW’s H2R, powered by a hydrogen-burning V12 engine, set nine FIA-recognized records at Miramas in France in 2004.

Its top recorded benchmark was 302.4 KM/H, which works out to about 187.9 MPH.

The JCB run moves beyond the roughly 303 MPH speed achieved by the Buckeye Bullet 2, a hydrogen fuel cell streamliner developed by Ohio State University students and engineers in 2008.

Those comparisons show how quickly the numbers have moved, but they involve different vehicle technologies and record categories. A hydrogen combustion engine and a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain use the same fuel in very different ways, so direct comparisons need some context.

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