JCB is at it again with another attempt to break a world speed record, this time with a hydrogen-powered car.
The 32-foot-long JCB Hydromax is being prepared to travel over 350 mph, equipped with the British construction-equipment manufacturer’s new hydrogen internal combustion engines.
The world's fastest backhoeJCB
(Be sure to check out the videos at the end of this article to watch the company's previous speed records and a preview of the Hydromax.)
- In 2007, its Dieselmax car hit 350.092 mph to become the world’s fastest diesel. It was equipped with twin JCB444 engines for a combined 750 horsepower.
- In 2014, the JCB GT set the world record for the fastest backhoe loader at 72.58 mph. It ran on a 1,000-horsepower, supercharged Chevrolet 454 Big Block V8.
- In 2019, the company broke the world record for the fastest tractor. The Fastrac Two — a modified JCB Fastrac 8000 Series tractor with a 1,106-horsepower JCB DieselMax engine — hit 153.77 mph.
The world's fastest tractorJCB
Retired British Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andy Green, the only person to break the sound barrier on wheels, will drive the Hydromax. He set the land-speed record at 763 mph with a jet-propelled car in 1997. Green also drove the Dieselmax for its 2007 speed record.
“Britain has a proud heritage of setting speed records and, as a British company, I’m excited to challenge for a new one using hydrogen,” said JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who has spearheaded the company’s hydrogen program. “This is not just about speed — it’s about showcasing the world-class engineering talent we have here in the UK and the robustness of our new hydrogen engines.”
JCB’s Hydrogen Engines
The hydrogen-powered HydromaxJCB
The company says it is the first construction equipment manufacturer to develop a fully working combustion engine fueled by hydrogen. JCB’s hydrogen engine was approved for commercial sale and use in machines in Europe in January 2025. The company says it has begun production of hydrogen-powered earthmoving equipment.
In recent years, JCB has debuted several hydrogen-powered machine prototypes, including a backhoe loader, a Loadall telescopic handler and a 220X excavator, as well as a mobile refueler for hydrogen-powered machines.
The JCB Hydromax
The two engines, at 800-horsepower each, “drive all four wheels through a twin-transmission and clutch system,” according to JCB. “… Every part of the car has been stress- and simulation-tested, with suspension components, traction control settings, aerodynamics and camera placement all being critical to get exactly right before the attempt.”
The team members preparing the Hydromax are mostly JCB employees who also worked on the Dieselmax world record. Third-party assistance has come from Prodrive with the car build, Ricardo with the engine tune, and Xtrac with the transmission, JCB says.
Need for Speed
The current land-speed record for a vehicle with a hydrogen internal combustion engine is 185.5 mph.
JCB has its sights set on topping 350 mph and going even faster than its Dieselmax did in 2007.
“The JCB Hydromax car is lighter, more powerful and faster than its predecessor of 20 years ago,” Green says. “… This August we're going to smash the hydrogen-powered vehicle record in the world's fastest (and most exciting!) zero-emissions vehicle. I can't wait.”
For Bramford, the test is a high-profile way to bring attention to the power and low emissions of hydrogen as a means of powering construction equipment, similar to what the company did for its diesel engines with the Dieselmax 20 years ago.
“Putting an advanced engine into a land-speed car showed the world what it could do in a way a digger never could,” he says. “It’s the same thinking with hydrogen today. If you’re serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen — and a land-speed project is the perfect way to prove it.”
Hydromax Preview Video
Check Out Video of JCB's Other Speed Records
