British driver who broke sound barrier sets new speed record
Andy Green, a 64-year-old retired RAF pilot, has hit a record-breaking 406mph in a hydrogen-powered car at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Andy Green reached 406mph (654km/h) in a hydrogen-powered vehicle
- The JCB Hydromax features two hydrogen internal combustion engines
- The run more than doubled the previous official hydrogen combustion record
Andy Green, the historic driver who remains the first and only person to break the sound barrier on land, has achieved a brand-new speed milestone behind the wheel of a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Testing at the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, the 64-year-old former Royal Air Force pilot pushed the experimental car to an astonishing 406 miles per hour (654 kilometers per hour).
Green's record was officially calculated as the average of two intense runs. The vehicle responsible for the feat, designated as the JCB Hydromax, draws its immense power from two hydrogen internal combustion engines working in tandem to produce a combined output of 1,600 brake horsepower (bhp).
Back in 1997, Green piloted the jet-propelled ThrustSSC across Nevada's Black Rock Desert at a staggering 763mph (1,228km/h), etching his name in history. Two decades ago, he also set the world land speed record for a diesel vehicle aboard the JCB Dieselmax, surpassing 350mph (563km/h).
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
This latest achievement marks a massive leap forward for alternative fuel racing, more than doubling the previous official hydrogen combustion record of 185.5mph set back in 2004.
"Setting a world land speed record with hydrogen power, 20 years after Dieselmax, is a huge privilege. This record is a huge achievement by a world class team and superb technology,"
Andy Green
Green revealed that his wife played a pivotal role in convincing him to take on the challenge after receiving a phone call from JCB chairman Lord Anthony Bamford last month. Reflecting on the milestone, Lord Anthony noted that just as they demonstrated British engineering prowess with diesel power two decades ago, they have now repeated the feat using hydrogen combustion. The Hydromax car was previously unveiled at the company's global headquarters in May, reaching 208mph (335km/h) during testing at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire.
The ongoing development of hydrogen internal combustion engines showcases an alternative pathway for high-performance mobility alongside fuel cells. By utilizing hydrogen in modified combustion setups, engineers can maintain high horsepower outputs and traditional mechanical layouts while drastically cutting carbon emissions, making extreme endurance tests like the Bonneville salt flats crucial proving grounds.
Source: BBC Science & Environment
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