Andy Green sets hydrogen land speed record at 406 mph

British driver Andy Green, the only person to have broken the sound barrier in a car, has set a new world land speed record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle. On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot averaged 406.320 mph (653.908 km/h) across two runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record, which is provisional pending final paperwork from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), more than doubles the previous mark of 185.5 mph set by a BMW H2R in 2004.

Green achieved the speed in the JCB Hydromax, a 32-foot-long streamliner powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines. The car, which produces zero tailpipe emissions, is based on engines originally designed for JCB construction equipment. The FIA officiated the attempt, which required two runs in opposite directions over a measured mile within a 10-mile course. Green recorded a first-run speed of 400.623 mph and a second-run speed of 412.135 mph, with the official record being the average of the two.

"Setting a world land speed record with hydrogen power, 20 years after Dieselmax, is a huge privilege," Green said. "This record is a huge achievement by a world class team...