JCB Hydromax sets 406 mph hydrogen land speed record

A new land speed record for hydrogen-powered cars was set on August 11, 2026, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The JCB Hydromax, powered by two hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines, achieved a two-way average speed of 406.320 mph (653.91 km/h), according to JCB. The record was driven by RAF Wing Commander Andy Green, who also set the outright land speed record in 1997 with Thrust SSC.

The JCB Hydromax is a project of JCB, a UK-based manufacturer of heavy industrial and agricultural equipment. The company has been developing hydrogen combustion engines since 2020 after concluding that hydrogen fuel cells were too expensive and fragile for use on farms and construction sites. For the record attempt, JCB modified two of its production hydrogen engines, increasing their output from 74 hp (55 kW) each to 800 hp (597 kW) apiece. This required doubling engine speed to 3,800 rpm, replacing pushrod valves with double overhead camshafts, and moving to direct fuel injection at much higher pressure. The car also uses two ice tanks to cool turbocharger air from 392° F (200° C) to below 50° F (10° C).

The record matters because it demonstrates the potential of hydrogen combustion as an alternative to diesel engines in heavy industry, where battery-electric power may not be practical. JCB has said it must meet carbon emissions targets and sees hydrogen combustion as a viable path. The previous hydrogen combustion land speed record was 185.5 mph (298.53 km/h), set by the BMW H2R in 2004. The JCB Hydromax more than doubled that mark. It also exceeded the fastest hydrogen fuel cell speed record of 303 mph (488 km/h), set by the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2 in 2009, and the fastest EV land speed record of 341 mph (549 km/h), set by VBB3 in 2016.

On August 11, 2026, the JCB Hydromax made a run of 400.623 mph (644.74 km/h) in one direction and 412.135 mph (663.27 km/h) in the other, for a two-way average of 406.320 mph (653.91 km/h). The car has a combined 1,600 hp (1,193 kW) and 2,600 lb-ft (3,525 Nm) of torque, with all-wheel drive. Andy Green, who drove Thrust SSC to 763.6 mph (1,229 km/h) in 1997 and set a diesel land speed record of 350 mph (563 km/h) with the JCB Dieselmax in 2006, described the car as "stable, strong, and fast."

JCB began developing its own hydrogen combustion engine in 2020 after testing fuel cell prototypes. The company concluded that fuel cells were too costly and delicate for agricultural and construction environments. In 2006, BMW modified a V12 engine in a 7 Series to run on hydrogen, but it produced only 60 percent of the power and used five times the fuel of the gasoline version. More recently, Toyota president Akio Toyoda has driven an experimental hydrogen-burning Corolla in Japanese endurance races, using a turbocharged three-cylinder engine from the GR Corolla.

The fastest wheel-driven land speed record overall remains 449 mph (722 km/h), set by the nitromethane-fueled Challenger II in 2018. The JCB Hydromax record is subject to official confirmation by the relevant motorsport authority. JCB has not announced whether it will attempt further speed records or focus on commercializing its hydrogen engines for industrial equipment.