World’s first Hydrogen Luxury Performance Automobile – the BMW Hydrogen 7

The world’s first hydrogen-drive luxury performance automobile – the BMW Hydrogen 7 – celebrated its world premiere at the Los Angeles International Auto Show with the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, congratulating the hydrogen initiative. The Hydrogen 7, which has fulfilled all of the criteria of BMW’s rigorous product development process, will be built in a limited series and for selected users during 2007. Based on the familiar 7 Series model, it is equipped with an internal combustion engine capable of running either on hydrogen or on petrol.

Running in the hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapour. Hydrogen technology dramatically reduces emissions generated by personal transport and, in particular, minimizes the emission of CO2.

With all the comforts and amenities of a non-hydrogen BMW 7 Series, the BMW Hydrogen 7 is powered by a 191 kW twelve-cylinder engine that accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 9.5 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 230 km/h.

The BMW Hydrogen 7 also features a dual-mode power unit – controlled at the touch of a button – that can switch quickly and conveniently from hydrogen to conventional premium grade unleaded.

The car’s dual-mode drive provides a hydrogen mode cruising range of more than 200 kilometres, with another 500 kilometres in petrol mode.

With this overall cruising range of more than 700 kilometres, the driver of a BMW Hydrogen 7 is able to use the vehicle without problem even when the nearest hydrogen filling station is far away.

This technology is a viable solution until the hydrogen infrastructure is fully developed.

The BMW Hydrogen 7 emphatically proves that changing over to an alternative form of energy doesn’t mean missing out on superior driving dynamics and comfort.

The departure from fossil fuel does not in any way mean giving up the dynamics and performance typical of a BMW.

The mobility of tomorrow and driving pleasure of today are compatible, with the drive concept of BMW Hydrogen 7 being directly transferable to future models.

Driving a car of this calibre will be just as thrilling in the future as it is today, but at the same time cleaner than ever before.