Hydrogen-powered vehicle sets world record by reaching 653.9 km/h in Utah

The Bonneville Salt Flats in the US state of Utah have been the scene of a new world record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle. The custom-built vehicle, named the JCB Hydromax, reached an average speed of 653.9 kilometers per hour across two runs.

The vehicle was driven by Andy Green, a retired pilot from the UK Royal Air Force. The vehicle reached 644 km/h in the first run and 663 km/h in the second. The official record was recorded by taking the average of the two runs.

This result was announced as the highest speed ever reached by a vehicle with a hydrogen internal combustion engine. While the previous record in the hydrogen category was stated to be 488 km/h, the new mark significantly raised that threshold.

Andy Green is a well-known figure in the field of land speed records. In 1997, Green became the first person to break the sound barrier in a jet-powered vehicle, and he had previously been behind the wheel for a diesel-powered vehicle record.

The JCB Hydromax utilized two 74-horsepower hydrogen engines, which were originally developed for construction machinery. The hydrogen-powered internal combustion system, which produces no carbon dioxide emissions, was taken to the track following strict checklists and countdown procedures throughout the trial.

The record attempt drew attention for demonstrating that hydrogen technology can be used in high-performance applications not only with fuel cells but also with internal combustion engine architecture.