British Driver Sets Hydrogen Speed Record at 406 MPH

The man who made history by breaking the sound barrier on land just proved that hydrogen power can be blazingly fast.

Andy Green, a 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot, pushed a hydrogen-powered car to 406 mph across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats last week. The achievement shatters the previous hydrogen combustion record of 185.5 mph set in 2004, proving clean fuel technology has come further than most people realize.

Green isn't new to speed records. In 1997, he became the first and still only person to break the sound barrier on land, hitting 763 mph in the jet-powered ThrustSSC. Two decades ago, he also set a diesel vehicle record at over 350 mph in the JCB Dieselmax.

This latest record came in the JCB Hydromax, a specially designed car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines producing a combined 1,600 brake horsepower. The record speed was measured as an average of two runs across the famous salt flats, following strict world record protocols.

Green almost didn't take on the challenge. His wife's encouragement proved crucial after he received a call from JCB chairman Lord Anthony Bamford asking him to drive the Hydromax. Her support helped him say yes to one more record attempt.

The team had been preparing for months. In May, the Hydromax reached 208 mph during testing at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire, showing promise but leaving room to push further. By the time they reached Bonneville, the car was ready to make history.

The Ripple Effect

This record does more than add another trophy to Green's collection. It demonstrates that hydrogen technology can deliver the kind of performance that excites people, not just reduce emissions. When clean energy feels this powerful, it becomes easier to imagine a future where sustainable choices don't mean sacrificing what we love.

Lord Anthony Bamford emphasized the achievement's deeper meaning: "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."

The automotive industry watches records like these closely. Speed achievements often drive innovation that eventually reaches everyday vehicles. Technologies tested at extreme limits frequently become tomorrow's standard features.

Green called the experience "a huge privilege" and credited his world-class team and superb technology for making it possible.

At 64, Green shows no signs of slowing down, even as the vehicles he drives get cleaner and faster.