JCB aims to set speed record for hydrogen combustion vehicles

British construction, industrial, and agricultural machinery manufacturer J.C. Bamford Excavators (JCB) plans to break the speed record for hydrogen-powered land vehicles with the newly designed JCB Hydromax at the annual “SpeedWeek” in Utah, USA. The vehicle uses two tuned hydrogen combustion engines from its own series production, which are normally used in construction machinery.

JCB is no stranger to land vehicle speed records. The company already holds three records for the fastest tractor, the fastest backhoe loader, and the fastest diesel vehicle. The record for the fastest diesel vehicle dates back 20 years and still marks the existing world record of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) with a top speed of 350,092 mph (approx. 563 km/h). It was set with the JCB Dieselmax.

Two hydrogen combustion engines

With the JCB Hydromax, JCB is targeting a new record: that for the fastest land vehicle with a hydrogen combustion engine drive. The 9.7 m long, streamlined vehicle is powered by two hydrogen combustion engines from series production for construction machinery. JCB states that it has worked on the development of hydrogen combustion engines for about five years and invested 100 million pounds. The first excavators are currently in production, JCB writes.

The two engines of the JCB Hydromax, located at the front and rear of the vehicle for better weight distribution, each deliver approximately 588 kW (800 PS). The engines are cooled with ice using phase-change cooling. Conventional cooling systems would impair aerodynamics too much, JCB explains. About a quarter of a ton of ice is loaded before a run.

JCB is not revealing many further details about the Hydromax's technology. The vehicle is said to feature a dual-clutch transmission and be driven by all four wheels. The aerodynamics of the body have been implemented using state-of-the-art techniques. The air resistance is 10 percent lower than that of the Dieselmax, without the vehicle losing stability during high-speed runs. Individual components of the vehicle have been tested in extensive simulations and load tests. The individual components are closely coordinated. This applies to the chassis, traction control settings, and aerodynamics.

In developing the JCB Hydromax, the company primarily relied on a core team of its own employees, some of whom had already been involved in the development and construction of the Dieselmax record vehicle 20 years earlier. In addition, there was the expertise of specialized suppliers such as Prodrive for vehicle construction, Ricardo for engine tuning, and Xtrac for the transmission.

The JCB Hydomax is to be piloted by Andy Green, the record holder of the Dieselmax. The former Royal Air Force pilot, now retired, also holds the absolute speed record for land vehicles at 763.035 mph (approx. 1228 km/h) and is the first person to break the sound barrier with a land vehicle.

Nearly double the existing record

JCB's next steps are test runs in the United Kingdom with the JCB Hydromax. Afterward, it will head to the Bonneville SpeedWeek to break the land speed record on a salt lake. The conditions there are almost optimal for setting new land speed records. JCB plans to exceed the existing record significantly for vehicles with hydrogen combustion engines of 185.5 mph. JCB names a speed of over 350 mph. This is higher than the current speed records for land vehicles with other alternative drives, such as for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (303 mph) and electric vehicles (342 mph).

(olb)