JCB is the Rolls-Royce of diggers. British and brilliant. You know that.Every construction site in the world relies on them.
What you might not know is that JCB challenged itself to invent ever-better earth movers powered by zero-carbon fuels. Job done.
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The JCB Hydromax is Britain’s new land-speed record challenger aiming to top 400mph
The hydrogen engine powered machine measures 32ft and will attempt the record in Utah
After five years and £100million of investment, the Staffordshire factory is now producing hydrogen engines for its backhoe loaders.
All of which leads me to some very exciting news.
Two of those hydrogen engines – with a combined output of 1,600hp – will power Britain’s new land-speed record challenger, JCB Hydromax.
The 32ft car is expected to top 400mph at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah this August.
KING DIGS JCBs
King Charles gives JCB his seal of approval by renewing firm’s royal warrant
ONE MAN AND HIS DIG
Dad rescues his dog who was stuck 20ft under ground for 30hrs using JCB
JCB is aiming to break its own diesel powered record of 350mph Credit: Supplied
Land speed record holder Andy Green is determined to show how great British engineering and technology is Credit: AFP
That would annihilate the current hydrogen-powered record of 302mph, as well as JCB’s own diesel-powered record of 350mph from 2006, which still stands.
Driver Andy Green said: “JCB Hydromax is lighter, more powerful and faster.
“We’re going to show the world, again, just how good British engineering and technology really is.”
JCB chairman Anthony Bamford said: “JCB Dieselmax was always a bit of an unusual idea – but it proved a point.
JCB set a record as the fastest backhoe loader in 2014 at 72mph Credit: SUPPLIED
In 2019 JCB set the record for the fastest tractor at 135mph Credit: Supplied
“Putting an advanced engine into a land-speed car showed the world what it could do in a way a digger never could. It’s the same thinking with hydrogen today.
“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.”
One hundred per cent. JCB is partnering with Prodrive and Ricardo to build Hydromax, so this is truly a British project.
It won’t trouble Andy’s world land-speed record of 763.035mph, set in Thrust SSC in 1997, but that was never the target.
This mission will show the world hydrogen is a clean energy solution that can do the heavy lifting in construction, farming and beyond.Best of British.
