The new ‘fastest-ever’ British hydrogen car aiming | Tech News

A new 350mph car appears to be like set to turn into the quickest hydrogen vehicle to ever hit the roads, with construction group JCB getting ready for a new world document attempt. The British-built JCB Hydromax is set to tackle a Land Speed Record attempt on the well-known Bonneville Salt Flats in August, with testing already underneath means.

JCB has spent 5 years developing hydrogen inner combustion engines as half of a £100 million investment within the technology. JCB broke the diesel land-speed document with its Dieselmax model back in 2006, clocking an spectacular 350.092mph. But JCB hopes its hydrogen model will go even quicker.

The present hydrogen-powered land velocity document stands at 302.877 mph. Does historical past beckon for JCB? The new Hydromax model is fitted with two manufacturing engines that mix to ship 1,600hp.

Staffordshire-based JCB explains that every titanium turbo compressor spins at more than 150,000 rpm at nearly 300C. FIA Land Speed Records Commission President Roger Banowetz pressured that a hydrogen-powered vehicle succesful of breaking the 350mph barrier “would make a clear statement”.

Describing how the technology works solely to Express.co.uk, Roger stated: “Hydrogen is stored on board as a compressed gas and delivered to the engine cylinders as a gas via special fuel injectors. Hydrogen-fueled land-speed record attempt vehicles are not new, but they are not as common as hydrogen in road cars.

“Hydrogen-powered land speed record vehicles are still relatively new and remain rare, which makes projects like this significant. They offer a valuable platform to test, understand and showcase the technology under some of the most demanding conditions in motorsport, helping demonstrate that hydrogen works for high-performance motorsport.”

The JCB Hydromax has already been out testing, hitting the runway at RAF Wittering earlier this week. Hydrogen vehicles are already obtainable within the UK such because the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai NEXO. However, the technology is but to take off in the identical means as EV batteries have.

A scarcity of curiosity within the fuel cell technology is probably going resulting from a lack of refuelling infrastructure, with development nonetheless in its early phases.

Last week, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest confirmed that hydrogen vehicles might be allowed to compete within the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race from 2030. It’s one other stepping stone which may see hydrogen turn into more mainstream by the tip of the last decade.

Roger advised Express.co.uk : “For hydrogen combustion, one clear advantage is that the engine exhaust is water vapour. This makes it one of the cleanest internal combustion fuel options from an exhaust emissions perspective, while still allowing engineers to pursue the performance characteristics associated with a combustion engine.”