British engineers power hydrogen car to world record 406mph

Two Institution of Mechanical Engineers members have played key roles in a stunning British engineering triumph, helping power a hydrogen vehicle to a world-record 406mph.

Ricardo’s Ben Hassett CEng, MIMechE, Chief Programme Engineer, and Matt Beasley, CEng FIMechE, Director of Global Engineering and Operations and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, were at the heart of the team behind the record-breaking JCB Hydromax.

The 32-foot, twin-engine vehicle reached an average 406.320mph across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, making it the fastest hydrogen-powered vehicle ever built.

The record smashes JCB’s previous 350.092mph Dieselmax record, set in 2006, and beats the previous 303mph record for a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.

The achievement is a major showcase for British engineering, with Ricardo working alongside JCB and Prodrive to develop the machine in just over 15 months.

Ricardo engineers transformed JCB’s production hydrogen engine from 74hp to 800hp, while cutting 100kg from its weight. The team also built six race engines for testing and the record attempt.

For Beasley, the achievement was particularly special. He also worked on the original Dieselmax record 20 years ago, making Hydromax a remarkable return to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

He called it an “impressive feat of British engineering”, demonstrating what is possible when leading engineering companies come together around a shared goal.

Hassett said the record showed the “possibilities of hydrogen as a propulsion fuel for the future”.

From Dieselmax to Hydromax, British engineers have once again pushed the limits of speed, technology and what is possible.