Britain’s world-leading engineering expertise will once again take centre stage on the global stage after JCB successfully completed high-speed UK testing of its hydrogen-powered land speed record car ahead of an ambitious world record attempt in the United States next month.
The remarkable JCB Hydromax reached speeds of 208mph during a series of test runs at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire, marking another significant milestone in Britain’s growing hydrogen technology sector.
Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE – the fastest man in history and the only person ever to break the sound barrier on land – the 32-foot-long machine surpassed the 177mph achieved earlier in the development programme.
The latest tests were not solely about outright speed. Engineers gathered extensive performance data, refined hydrogen refuelling procedures and rehearsed operational routines that will be crucial when the team heads to the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for its official record attempt in August.
JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford praised the achievement and the work of the engineering team.
“The UK testing programme has given us everything we had hoped for and more,” he said. “We have a car that runs, a crew that knows it inside out and a wealth of real-world data that no amount of theory could ever provide. The team has done a magnificent job and our focus now turns entirely to the Salt Flats and a new world hydrogen land speed record.”
The project forms part of JCB’s wider commitment to hydrogen technology. Under Lord Bamford’s leadership, the company has invested £100 million developing hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines, which are already being fitted to construction machinery rolling off production lines.
Leading the Hydromax project is JCB Engineering Director Ryan Ballard, who said the lessons learned during testing could prove just as important as the headline speed figures.
“Reaching 208mph is a tremendous result, but the real value of these tests is what we have learned,” he said. “We now understand how the car behaves under load, we have refined our hydrogen refuelling, and we have built the teamwork and communication that will be decisive at Bonneville.”
For Andy Green, the successful trials are another chapter in a career synonymous with pushing the limits of engineering achievement.
“To run JCB Hydromax up to 208mph here in the UK is hugely encouraging,” he said. “The car feels strong and the team has gelled brilliantly. Now comes the real challenge – Bonneville, the spiritual home of the World Land Speed Record.”
The vehicle was officially unveiled at JCB’s headquarters in Staffordshire in May. It is powered by two hydrogen-fuelled JCB engines derived from the company’s own production technology and produces a combined 1,600 horsepower.
The forthcoming record attempt builds on JCB’s proud history of engineering innovation and speed record success.
In 2006, Andy Green drove the legendary JCB Dieselmax to a diesel land speed record of 350.092mph at Bonneville, powered by two JCB engines. That Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile record still stands today.
JCB has also set records in other sectors. In 2019, the company’s Fastrac became the world’s fastest tractor at 135.191mph, while in 2014 the JCB GT established a backhoe loader speed record of 72.58mph.
The Bonneville challenge will take place during SpeedWeek, organised by the Southern California Timing Association, before the team pursues official FIA recognition for a new hydrogen-powered land speed record.
The attempt comes at a significant moment for the company as it prepares to open a new $500 million manufacturing facility in Texas.
For Britain, the project represents more than a bid for another entry in the record books. It is a powerful demonstration of British engineering, innovation and manufacturing excellence at a time when the race to develop new energy technologies is becoming increasingly important around the world.
From Staffordshire workshops to the vast salt flats of Utah, JCB’s latest challenge showcases the ingenuity, ambition and technical skill that continue to make British engineering admired across the globe.
