FIA: There is a new speed record for hydrogen cars!

      Today, the FIA confirmed that a new speed record has been set for hydrogen-powered vehicles. The specially designed JCB Hydromax raced across the perfectly smooth salt flats of Bonneville in the American state of Utah at a speed of 653.909 km/h.

      While it is still provisional, as it must be approved by the FIA's Land Speed Record Commission. These records are the only globally recognized, officially registered achievements that reflect the pursuit of absolute speed, and their history dates back to the 1920s.

      The JCB Hydromax was piloted by Andy Green, a British pilot and racing driver, and an officer in the Royal Air Force, who already has successful experience in record-breaking runs. As required by FIA regulations, he made two attempts over a distance of one mile, one in each direction, after which the average speed is determined based on the results of both runs.

      Today's achievement more than doubles the previously recognized record set by the federation, which was 298.4 km/h and established in 2004 with the experimental BMW H2R.

      The FIA has collaborated with the team of engineers at JCB who developed the Hydromax from the very beginning, and this project started five years ago. Additionally, it is symbolically significant that the record runs took place exactly 20 years after Andy Green set the FIA-recognized record for diesel-powered vehicles at 563.418 km/h in August 2006 with the JCB-built Dieselmax.

      He also holds another outstanding achievement – the absolute land speed record: in 1997, on the ThrustSSC, a rather unusual "vehicle" with a jet engine, he accelerated to 1227.986 km/h.

      Mohammed ben Sulayem, President of the FIA: "This achievement is of historical significance for motorsport, as it demonstrates that innovation, speed, and environmental care can successfully coexist.

      Motorsport has always been a catalyst for technological progress and has pushed the boundaries of what is possible. The new land speed record continues this tradition, showcasing the potential of hydrogen technologies in the context of further development.

      The FIA is proud to have played a central role for over a hundred years, acting as an arbiter in attempts to set speed records. I would like to thank the United States Auto Club for their support in preparing for these record runs, and I congratulate Andy Green and everyone involved in this remarkable achievement."

      Andy Green, a Knight of the Order of the British Empire: "Bonneville can be considered the cradle of world land speed records, and Hydromax has just written its page in the history of these achievements. The vehicle performed excellently – it is characterized by confident and stable behavior and speed. It is a great honor for me to set a world speed record in a hydrogen-powered vehicle 20 years after Dieselmax."