Watch: Hydrogen car breaks land speed record at 406 mph
Former Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green drives a hydrogen-powered vehicle to a record-breaking 406 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Hydrogen-powered car sets a new land speed record reaching 406 mph (654 km/h).
- The historic run took place at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, United States.
- The vehicle was piloted by retired Royal Air Force veteran Andy Green.
The automotive world has witnessed a major milestone as a hydrogen-powered vehicle smashed previous benchmarks to reach an unprecedented land speed. The car hit a staggering 406 miles per hour, equivalent to 654 kilometers per hour, marking a monumental achievement for alternative fuel technology in extreme performance categories.
At the wheel of this record-breaking machine was Andy Green, a retired pilot from the Royal Air Force. The high-speed trial was conducted at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats located in Utah, United States, a legendary location renowned for hosting extreme motorsport and land speed record attempts due to its vast, flat expanse of salt crust.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Green is certainly no stranger to extreme velocities. Back in 1997, he famously piloted the jet-powered ThrustSSC vehicle across the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, achieving a blistering 763 miles per hour (1,228 kilometers per hour). That legendary run secured his status as the first and currently only person ever to break the sound barrier traveling across land.
Pushing a hydrogen-powered vehicle to 406 mph offers vital technical insights into the capabilities of hydrogen systems under extreme stress. While hydrogen fuel is predominantly discussed in the context of commercial fleets and zero-emission passenger transport, high-speed testing helps engineers evaluate powertrain durability, thermal management, and energy delivery limits, potentially paving the way for advanced green-energy performance applications.
Source: BBC Science & Environment
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