When JCB invited me to the Bonneville Salt Flats last week to witness its Hydromax earn the FIA world record for fastest-ever hydrogen-powered car at 406.320 mph, the first question I asked was, "What's in it for the enthusiast?" Why should we care? Breaking land-speed records at Bonneville is cool, no doubt, but at the time, hydrogen seemed like a dead end to me.
I often stress myself into a sweat thinking about living with either of the two hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles currently on the US market: the Honda CR-V e:FCEV and the Toyota Mirai. The performance is unremarkable, the lack of infrastructure is confining, and hydrogen harvesting can be energy-intensive.
