A Sussex-based engineering firm is making headlines with an ambitious plan to showcase hydrogen power by attempting to break a land speed record using a modified digger engine. Ricardo, based in Shoreham, West Sussex, has dramatically re-engineered a standard 74 horsepower (hp) JCB hydrogen engine, typically found in construction vehicles, into an 800hp powerhouse.
This formidable engine is destined for the JCB Hydromax car, currently under construction by Banbury-based firm Prodrive. Two of these specially adapted engines will be integrated into the vehicle – one to drive the front wheels and another for the rear – as it prepares for a record attempt scheduled for August. The target speed for the JCB Hydromax is an impressive 350 mph (563 km/h), which would not only surpass the existing hydrogen-powered vehicle record of 187 mph (301 km/h) but also challenge the current diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph (563.418 km/h), set by JCB in 2006.
Ben Hassett, assistant principal engineer at Ricardo, highlighted the broader implications of the project, stating it is an excellent method to demonstrate hydrogen's potential as a reliable, realistic, and exciting clean alternative to diesel. While acknowledging that hydrogen power is not yet ready for the mainstream consumer market, Hassett emphasised its immediate and significant application in heavy-duty machinery. He suggested that such high-profile endeavours, like breaking a land speed record, are crucial for generating public interest and potentially accelerating its eventual adoption by consumers.
Extensive testing for the vehicle has already been conducted, including trials at RAF Wittering, where the car achieved speeds of up to 208 mph (334.744 km/h). The engines are now being transported to Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, a renowned location for land speed record attempts. Drivers will have up to nine miles of track to build speed, with records being measured by the average speed achieved over a one-mile distance.
The record attempt will be undertaken by Andy Green, a seasoned pilot and land speed record holder. Green famously drove the rocket-powered car that set the outright land speed record of 763.035 mph (1,227.985 km/h) in 1997, bringing a wealth of experience to this innovative hydrogen challenge.