Britain’s Andy Green sets another speed record, this time for fastest run in a hydrogen-powered car
WENDOVER, Utah (AP) — The only person to break the sound barrier in a car earned another world record Tuesday in a show of force for hydrogen…
British driver Andy Green, renowned for breaking the sound barrier, achieved another world record on Tuesday by reaching speeds of 406.320 mph (653.908 kph) in a hydrogen-powered car at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The 64-year-old, a retired Royal Air Force pilot, drove the 32-foot JCB Hydromax, a vehicle powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower.
The engines, originally designed for JCB's heavy machinery, mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to generate power. This record-setting run, however, fell short of the overall land-speed record set by Green in 1997 using jet power, which reached 763.035 mph (1,227.985 kph). In 2006, Green also held the record for a diesel-powered car, achieving 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) at the same location.
Green's goal in this run was to surpass his previous diesel speed record, which he achieved using hydrogen power, a fuel he considers the "fuel of the future." The Bonneville Salt Flats, a remnant of a prehistoric lake bed, provided an ideal surface for high-speed runs due to its low friction and dry desert air. A few dozen JCB staff members and reporters witnessed the historic event through cameras and binoculars.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
