Hydrogen Car Targets 368 MPH at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats

The only driver to ever break the sound barrier in a car is back on the track with a mission to prove hydrogen power can fuel our future.

Andy Green, a 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force fighter pilot, hits Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats this week driving a bright yellow hydrogen-powered car. He's aiming to shatter his own 20-year-old diesel record of 350 mph.

In practice runs last week, Green already hit 368 mph in the JCB Hydromax, a 32-foot vehicle powered by two hydrogen engines producing a combined 1,600 horsepower. The engines were adapted from construction equipment and work by mixing pressurized hydrogen gas with air to create bursts of power.

Green came out of retirement specifically for this attempt after British manufacturer JCB approached him with their vision. The company has invested over $134 million into developing hydrogen-powered engines that emit no carbon dioxide from the tailpipes.

"If you're serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen, and a land speed project is the perfect way to prove it," said JCB Chair Anthony Bamford. The company believes hydrogen can handle the demands of heavy industries better than electric power.

This attempt is vastly different from Green's most famous achievement. In 1997, he traveled 763 mph in Nevada's Black Rock Desert using twin jet engines, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier on land and producing sonic booms that shook nearby towns.

Green spent months learning how the hydrogen car responds to different conditions and how to deploy its parachute on the salt flats' slippery surface. The team has carefully managed the unique safety challenges of hydrogen's high pressure and flammability through rigorous testing.

Why This Inspires

This isn't just about breaking records. It's about proving that alternative fuels can deliver serious power while protecting our planet.

JCB signed a deal to use green hydrogen created from renewable energy for this project. While most hydrogen today still comes from fossil fuels, this showcase demonstrates what's possible when innovation meets environmental commitment.

The timing matters too. As industries worldwide search for ways to reduce emissions, seeing hydrogen power a car to nearly 370 mph sends a powerful message about what clean energy can achieve.

Green's official attempt happens Tuesday morning at sunrise, overseen by international motorsport authorities. Beyond the hydrogen record, he's also targeting the electric vehicle land speed record of 341 mph.

Proving clean energy can deliver extreme performance today means proving it can power our everyday lives tomorrow.