JCB has pushed hydrogen combustion into territory usually reserved for jet age engineering. Its Hydromax streamliner has officially set a new FIA world record for the fastest hydrogen powered car, reaching an average of 653.909 km/h across two runs on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
The record did more than put a new number on the board. It also showed how far hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines can be pushed when the goal is pure speed, with the British machine comfortably beating JCB’s own diesel record from 2006.
Two Runs, One Huge Record
FIA rules require record attempts to be completed in opposite directions, which helps cancel out the effect of wind and other conditions. On its first run, the Hydromax reached 644.740 km/h. Coming back the other way, it went even faster at 663.267 km/h.
That gave the car an official average of 653.909 km/h, or 406.320 mph.
Andy Green was behind the wheel, which feels fitting considering his history with extreme speed. The former fighter pilot still holds the outright land speed record after driving ThrustSSC past the sound barrier, and he was also the man who drove JCB’s Dieselmax to its record two decades ago.
1,600 HP From Engines With Industrial Roots
The Hydromax stretches 9.75 meters in length, but what makes it especially interesting is what sits inside. Rather than starting with completely bespoke racing engines, JCB based the car around two units derived from engines used in its own construction machinery.
They were heavily reworked for the project, of course, with Ricardo and Prodrive involved in development, but the basic idea remains unusual. Together, the two hydrogen combustion engines produce 1,600 hp, enough to send the streamlined machine beyond 650 km/h.
JCB says the project is meant to prove that hydrogen combustion still has serious potential, especially in heavy machinery where batteries are not always the easiest solution.
JCB Hydromax Key Figures
- Power: 1,600 hp
- Fuel: Hydrogen
- Official average speed: 653.909 km/h
- Fastest run: 663.267 km/h
- Driver: Andy Green
- Location: Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
- Powertrain: Two hydrogen combustion engines derived from JCB production units
ArabGT’s View
What makes the Hydromax interesting is not just the fact that it crossed 650 km/h. JCB has taken a familiar combustion engine concept, changed the fuel, and shown that it can still deliver extreme performance without relying on conventional gasoline or diesel.
Hydrogen combustion is far from becoming the default answer for passenger cars, but this record is a reminder that the future of the internal combustion engine may not be as simple as switching it off forever. If the technology develops further, enthusiasts may still get noise, mechanical character, and serious performance in a cleaner form.
Would you rather see hydrogen combustion survive alongside EVs, or do you think electric power is the only realistic way forward?
