Green entrepreneur Jo Bamford CBE said he was extremely proud to have provided the refuelling infrastructure and expertise which helped propel JCB’s hydrogen-powered supercar to a historic world land speed record of 406.320 mph.
The boss of Ryze Power said his team had spent a year working on the project which culminated in yesterday’s (AUG 11) record-breaking run on the Salt Flats in Utah.
The car recorded the average speed 400.623 mph in its first run and 412.135 mph on its second, giving the average of 406.320 mph – the fastest hydrogen- powered vehicle of any kind in history.
“We have just witnessed a landmark feat of British engineering in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet,” said Jo.
“Our tube trailers and refuellers have been onsite to provide fuel for the JCB Hydromax throughout its testing and development, leading up to today’s record run, and our engineers have worked tirelessly with JCB’s team to ensure the right safety protocols have been in place from day one.
“It’s an incredible team effort which shows the power of our team at Ryze, the power of collaboration and ultimately the power of hydrogen.
“Today the world has sat up and taken notice but every single day our teams at Ryze, JCB and HyKit are on the road selling a complete hydrogen solution to customers – hydrogen fuel, refuelling equipment and hydrogen machines.”
JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford said today: “Twenty years ago we came to Bonneville with JCB Dieselmax and showed what British engineering could do with diesel power. Today we have done it again — this time with engines powered by hydrogen. This record was set by production-based engines, the same engines powering JCB diggers right now. That is the point of JCB Hydromax: it shows hydrogen works, and it works today at the highest level with zero emissions.”
Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the twin engined, 32-foot car completed the two runs required under FIA rules – one in each direction within an hour – comfortably beating the previous FIA-officiated hydrogen internal combustion benchmark of 185.5 mph set by the BMW H2R in 2004.
In doing so, JCB Hydromax surpassed the 350.092 mph world diesel land speed record set by JCB Dieselmax — also driven by Green, on the same salt, in August 2006. Twenty years on, JCB has beaten its own benchmark with an engine that produces no CO₂ at the tailpipe.
The car used two of JCB’s own production-based hydrogen digger engines, manufactured at the company’s engine factory in Foston, Derbyshire, which produced a combined 1,600 bhp.
They are the same engines now powering JCB machines and equipment rolling off production lines in the UK as part of the company’s £100m hydrogen programme.
Andy Green said: “Bonneville is the spiritual home of the world land speed record, and JCB Hydromax has just written itself into that history. The car was terrific — stable, strong and fast. Setting a world land speed record with hydrogen power, twenty years after Dieselmax, is a huge privilege. This record is a huge achievement by a world class team and superb technology.”
Wing Commander Andy Green is the fastest man on earth at 763.035 mph, the only person to break the sound barrier on land, and was the driver of JCB Dieselmax when it set the FIA world diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph at Bonneville in August 2006. That record still stands.
