British engineering company JCB has completed UK testing of its hydrogen-fueled Hydromax car, reaching 208mph and clearing the way for its world land speed record attempt at Bonneville, Utah, in August.
The shakedown runs at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire saw the 32ft-long vehicle driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE reach 208mph under its own hydrogen power – up from the 177mph recorded earlier in the program.
Alongside speed data, the team also gained engineering insight and refined coordination that JCB says can only be developed through on-track running. The crew also worked on the JCB Hydromax’s hydrogen refueling process, a key factor in ensuring fast turnaround on the Bonneville Salt Flats, where refueling speed can determine whether a record attempt proceeds. JCB says this experience will be valuable when the team returns to Utah next month.
JCB chairman Anthony Bamford said, “The UK testing program has given us everything we had hoped for and more. 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.”
JCB engineering director Ryan Ballard, who is leading the project, said, “Reaching 208mph is a tremendous result, but the real value of these tests is what we have learned. We now understand how the car behaves under load, we have refined our hydrogen refueling, and we have built the teamwork and communication that will be decisive at Bonneville. Every refuel, run and tire change we have rehearsed here is one we won’t be doing for the first time on the salt. We will arrive fully prepared, with a car and a crew that know exactly what they are doing.”
The car is powered by two of JCB’s own production-based hydrogen digger engines producing a combined 1,600bhp. With UK testing now complete, it will now be prepared for the journey to the USA. Lord Bamford has spearheaded the company’s £100m (US$132m) investment in hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines, which now power diggers rolling off production lines.
At Bonneville in 2006, Andy Green drove the JCB Dieselmax car to its Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) diesel world land speed record of 350.092mph, powered by two JCB engines. That record still stands, and JCB aims to beat it with the lighter, more powerful JCB Hydromax.
Andy Green said, “To run JCB Hydromax up to 208mph here in the UK is hugely encouraging. 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. I can’t wait to get out on the salt.”
In Utah, the team will compete at SpeedWeek, run by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), before pursuing an officially recognised record under the FIA.
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