JCB Attempts the Land Hydrogen Car Speed Record with the 368 mph JCB Hydromax
You may associate JCB with construction and agricultural machinery, plus some branded hard-wearing clothes, but few realise that JCB is laser focused on efficiency, reducing its fuel burn by 60% in recent year.
However, it’s not stopping there as it has splurged over £100 million to develop zero-carbon, hydrogen internal combustion engines. Whilst Hydrogen electric vehicles have not won over the hearts of the car buying public, like a Betamax video to the Battery Electric’s Streaming Services, hydrogen has it use cases in heavy industry, and JCB has invested heavily in this technology.
To showcase its technology JCB has quietly been building and testing its hydrogen-powered Hydromax streamliner. It even broke the SCTA speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats reaching 368.347mph at the land speed racing event, driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, on 7th August 2026.
However, it hasn’t yet clinched the coveted land speed record title just yet as it needs to enter the official FIA world record attempt, which happens next week.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “To reach 368.347mph is a fantastic achievement for the whole JCB Hydromax team. It shows just what JCB’s hydrogen engines are capable of ahead of our outright FIA world record attempt. This project is about proving that hydrogen power can perform at the very highest level with zero emissions, and today’s result is powerful evidence of that.”
Andy Green is the fastest man on terra firma smashing the world land speed record at 763.035mph, breaking the sound barrier on land nearly two decades ago, in ThrustSSC.
Andy said: “It has been an absolute joy to be back on the salt, racing at Speed Week alongside some incredible teams. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the home of the World Land Speed Record, where racers get to push the boundaries of physics and innovation. This record has given all of us huge confidence in the car, the team and the quality of the engineering. With our first record in the bag, we're now turning up the power on the engines, aiming to go even faster next week.”
JCB Hydromax Project Leader Ryan Ballard said: “Speed Week is one of the most iconic and respected events in world motorsport, bringing together competitors from around the globe who share a passion for pushing the boundaries of engineering and performance.
“We are immensely grateful to the Southern California Timing Association for the professionalism, expertise and enthusiasm with which they organise this unique event. The SCTA's commitment to land speed racing has created a platform where innovation can thrive and records can be challenged. It has been a privilege for JCB to compete here, and we'd like to thank everyone involved for making us feel so welcome as we strive towards even greater achievements on the Salt Flats.”
The 32 foot long, twin-engined JCB Hydromax recorded a speed of 367.141mph on 6th August, and on 7th August it reached a maximum speed of 369.554mph to provide an average speed of 368.347mph.
Although it sets a new SCTA record on the Bonneville Salt Flats, it’s yet to be validated as a world land speed record. That attempt will come the following week when it enters the FIA world record attempt, which JCB is laser focused on.
The previous SCTA record was 348.342 mph set by the Spectre Streamliner in 2010, and it has taken over a decade and a half to smash past that previous record.
The JCB Hydromax is powered by two proprietary, production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined output of 1,600hp.
JCB is showcasing the finest of British engineering on a global stage ahead of opening itss new $500 million, one million sq. ft, 400-acre factory in San Antonio, Texas.
JCB has a history of breaking world land speed records as its JCB Dieselmax streamliner broke the world diesel land speed record twenty years ago, reaching 350.092 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
And in 2019, it brought “speeeeeeeeed” to farming as the JCB Fastrac tractor broke the world’s fastest tractor record at 135.191 mph. Take note Jeremy!
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About the Author
Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.
You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb
