British driver Andy Green reached 406.320 mph (653.908 km/h) on Tuesday at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, setting a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile world record for a hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle.
The 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot drove a 32-foot (9.75-meter) car built by British construction equipment manufacturer JCB and powered by two adapted hydrogen combustion engines producing a combined 1,600 horsepower.
The engines, derived from JCB's heavy machinery, mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to generate power.
Green already holds the outright land-speed record of 763.035 mph, set in 1997 with the jet-powered Thrust SSC, and the diesel-powered record of 350.092 mph, set at Bonneville in 2006.
Tuesday's run surpassed the previous hydrogen combustion record of 185.5 mph by a wide margin, though it did not approach supersonic speeds.
JCB engineers said the demonstration aims to show hydrogen's potential for heavy industry applications where battery-electric power may be less suitable.
The company has signed a deal to purchase green hydrogen produced from renewable energy, though such hydrogen currently represents a tiny fraction of global production.
Most hydrogen today is derived from fossil fuels, meaning its environmental benefit depends on the production method.
Driver who broke sound barrier sets new speed record in hydrogen-powered car
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