Tractor manufacturer aims to break the speed record for hydrogen-powered vehicles (3 photos)

JCB, a manufacturer renowned for its tractors, excavators, and other heavy machinery, has unveiled details about the Hydromax project. This is the name given to the vehicle JCB is building to set a speed record in the hydrogen-powered vehicle class. During recent tests, the Hydromax reached speeds of 208 mph (335 km/h), with the main record-breaking runs scheduled for the first week of August at Bonneville.





The Hydromax is powered by two 4.8-liter engines sourced from standard JCB machinery; however, they have been heavily modified to run on hydrogen and tuned for higher output. As a result, each engine produces approximately 800 hp. Additionally, the vehicle features an all-wheel-drive system.

The Hydromax is being piloted by arguably the most famous driver in the world of speed records—Andy Green. He is the only person to have broken the sound barrier on land and holds the current world land speed record of 1,228 km/h.

Andy Green also piloted the Dieselmax—a vehicle built by JCB in the early 2000s—which set the speed record for diesel-powered vehicles. In 2006, it reached a speed of 564 km/h. With the hydrogen-powered Hydromax, the developers aim to surpass that speed while simultaneously beating the electric vehicle record of 550 km/h.