British engineering giant JCB is preparing to make history once again, unveiling plans to challenge for a new land speed record with a 32-foot hydrogen-powered car developed using its own cutting-edge engine technology.
The Staffordshire-based manufacturer, which employs more than 20,000 people worldwide, has invested £100 million over the past five years in the development of hydrogen internal combustion engines. The company’s hydrogen-powered diggers have recently begun rolling off production lines, marking a significant milestone in the commercialisation of the technology.
Now, exactly two decades after rewriting the record books with the legendary JCB Dieselmax, the company is returning to the famed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to pursue a new record, this time powered by hydrogen.
In August 2006, the JCB Dieselmax, driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, achieved a world diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph, a feat that remains unbeaten today. This August, Green will once again take the wheel, piloting the hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax in an attempt to set a new benchmark for hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The project is being led by JCB and supported by British engineering specialists Prodrive and Ricardo.
JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who has spearheaded the company’s hydrogen programme, said Britain has a proud tradition of speed record achievements and that the new challenge is about far more than outright pace.
“Britain has a proud heritage of setting speed records and, as a British company, I’m excited to challenge for a new one using hydrogen,” he said. “This is not just about speed, it’s about showcasing the world-class engineering talent we have here in the UK and the robustness of our new hydrogen engines.”
Bamford drew parallels with the original Dieselmax project, which was designed to demonstrate the capabilities of advanced diesel technology to a global audience.
“JCB Dieselmax was always a bit of an unusual idea, but it proved a point,” he said. “Putting an advanced engine into a land-speed car showed the world what it could do in a way a digger never could. It’s the same thinking with hydrogen today. If you’re serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen, and a land-speed project is the perfect way to prove it.”
He added: “As for the speed we’re aiming for with JCB Hydromax, we intend to beat 350 mph.”
Green, who remains the fastest man on Earth after reaching 763.035 mph in the world land speed record holder ThrustSSC and becoming the only person to break the sound barrier on land, said the new car demonstrates the strength of British innovation.
“Twenty years ago, JCB took two of its diesel engines, sprinkled some magic engineering dust on them and put them into a racing car,” he said. “We raced the JCB Dieselmax up to an astonishing speed and a new FIA world record of just over 350 mph. Today, that car is still the fastest diesel-engined vehicle in history.”
He continued: “Now we’re going back to the Bonneville Salt Flats, spiritual home of the World Land Speed Record, with JCB’s new hydrogen engines. The JCB Hydromax car is lighter, more powerful and faster than its predecessor of 20 years ago. Once again, we’re going to show the world just how good British engineering and technology really is.”
The JCB Hydromax will be powered by two production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines generating a combined 1,600 bhp. Testing will begin in the UK before the team travels to Bonneville SpeedWeek, the world’s leading land speed racing event, where competitors from across the globe gather to chase records on the vast Utah salt flats.
SpeedWeek is organised by the Southern California Timing Association, which governs and verifies official class records at the event. Following SpeedWeek, the team will remain at Bonneville to pursue officially recognised world records overseen by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, motorsport’s global governing body.
The ambitious speed challenge comes ahead of another major milestone for JCB, the opening of its new $500 million manufacturing facility in San Antonio, Texas. The one million square foot factory, situated on a 400-acre site, will employ 1,500 people producing machines for the American market.
JCB’s latest record attempt continues a long-standing tradition of engineering achievement and speed innovation. In 2019, the company’s Fastrac tractor was crowned the world’s fastest tractor after reaching 135.191 mph. Earlier, in 2014, the JCB GT established the world record for the fastest backhoe loader at 72.58 mph.
As Britain seeks to remain at the forefront of advanced engineering and low-emission technology, JCB’s latest venture represents a bold demonstration of home-grown innovation, combining the nation’s proud speed record heritage with the future potential of hydrogen power.
Bonneville SpeedWeek 2026 is going to be held between 1st and 7th August.
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How is this for hypocrisy from Labour who ignored the will of the British people. Guardian politics- LABOUR DEPUTY SAYS FARAGE IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY AND CALLS FOR A MISINFORMATION CLAMPDOWN