BMW Hydrogen 7 Ready for Daily Use
Yesterday, BMW announced its hydrogen-powered 7 Series sedan would be loaned out to everyday drivers to test the new technology’s real-world abilities. Other companies, like Honda, have done pilot programs with their hydrogen-powered vehicles, but with extremely limited testing of one or two cars. BMW will loan a fleet of 100 Hydrogen 7s to prospective users in the U.S. and Europe in the first half of 2007.
According to BMW spokesman Andreas Klugescheid, the company will loan the Hydrogen 7 for a few weeks up to a few months to test both the technical aspects of the car and the habits of its drivers. The catch? BMW has already compiled a list of potential recipients of the Hydrogen 7 who not only would be good test subjects but would also put a spotlight on the hydrogen sedan itself. They also have to live near hydrogen fueling stations, and there are only a handful of those in the U.S. — mostly in California and Washington, D.C. We’re thinking celebrities and politicians too.
That means there isn’t much chance a current BMW owner will be able to request a Hydrogen 7. However, BMW is touting the fact that this hydrogen-powered 7 Series is built just like any other product, right alongside other 5 and 7 Series cars in Germany, so more could be produced rather easily. The V-12 engine can run on either hydrogen or gasoline and has separate tanks for each. It has a range of 425 miles when both tanks are full. Running on just water-vapor-producing hydrogen, the car can only manage 125 miles. BMW hopes that being at the forefront of hydrogen technology will cement it as “the ultimate fuel” leader. With 100 Hydrogen 7s on the road, we’ll all be keeping an eye on the results.
Related:
Road Testing BMW’s Hydrogen 7 [Wired.com via Jalopnik]
BMW Readies Hydrogen 7 Series for 2007 [internal]
