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The world’s first hydrogen-drive luxury performance automobile – the BMW
Hydrogen 7 – has 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 will be
driven by selected users in 2007.
The Hydrogen 7 is based on BMW’s familiar 7 Series model and is equipped with
an internal combustion engine capable of running either on hydrogen or on
petrol.
With the BMW Hydrogen 7, the BMW Group is laying down a marker for
sustainable mobility.
This car will play a pioneering role in driving forward hydrogen
technologies.
BMW has gained an excellent reputation for significantly reducing fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions by using ultra efficient, yet very dynamic petrol
engines.
Together with clean, performance diesel engines and the technologically
advanced hybrid systems currently under development within the BMW
EfficientDynamics project, the BMW Group has a clear strategy for sustainable
mobility – with hydrogen as the ultimate goal.
Hydrogen technology dramatically reduces emissions generated by personal
transport and, in particular, minimizes the emission of CO2.
Running in the hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing
but water vapour.
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.
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