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BMW Hydrogen 7
In 2006, BMW announced their latest effort in over 30-years of
testing and developing alternative-fueled vehicles, the Hydrogen
7. Based on the company's Series 7 sedan, the BMW Hydrogen
7 is the first hydrogen-powered luxury automobile designed
for everyday road use.
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The BMW Hydrogen 7 was designed to run on both liquid
hydrogen and gasoline, allowing flexibility on the road
and a range of more than 350 miles.
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BMW Hydrogen 7 |
The BMW Hydrogen 7 houses all the comfort and amenities of standard
Series 7 automobiles. More an exercise for future viability than
a feasible environmental solution, the BMW Hydrogen 7 is an energy
guzzler, eating up more juice from its hydrogen sources than the
equivalent amount in gasoline.
Features
Betting on seeing a safe and economical hydrogen system in the
future, BMW's hydrogen vehicle uses a typical V12 engine that is
capable of burning either of the two energy sources. The BMW Hydrogen
7 produces a usable power of 260 bhp at 5100 rpm and registers a
top speed of 140 mph with a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of 9.5 seconds.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 has a maximum torque of 390Nm at 4300 rpm. The
vehicle's transmission is controlled by a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
The dual-mode power source can be selected to pull from either
the gasoline or liquid hydrogen tank with a single push-button control.
Because of this easy switching between the two, the engine has been
optimized for either one.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 is fitted with a 485-lb hydrogen double-skinned
steel tank, equipped with an immense cooling system to ensure proper
temperatures at all times. Due to hydrogen's unsavory reputation
as an unstable substance, the tank has been subjected to innumerable
tests to ensure that is a safe option for on-road transportation.
Like with all standard Series 7 4-door sedans, the Hydrogen 7 is
equipped with BMW's iDrive system, consisting of a video screen
mounted on the dash with a controller right on the center console.
Much of the vehicle's climate, audio, navigation, suspension and
communication are operated via the device. The BMW Hydrogen 7 offers
Bluetooth wireless phones, 16-way heated and ventilated front Comfort
seats and an optional Night Vision system.
The Future for BMW
The production run for the BMW Hydrogen 7 is only 100 units, to
be leased to celebrities and other well-known personalities. Even
Brad Pitt took a BMW Hydrogen 7 to the Hollywood opening of his
movie, Ocean's 13. With the Hydrogen 7 in the public eye, BMW will
get much needed input as to the immediate potential of the vehicle.
In the meantime, as BMW puts its eggs on a hydrogen-powered combustible
engine for the future, everyone else is investing in fuel cell technology
and motorized engines. With the abundance of hydrogen and the hope
that the future will bring an economical solution for containing
and using it, the company is laying the foundation for a car to
be powered by renewable energy sources and producing minimal emissions.
Critics abound for the Hydrogen 7. For one, producing the hydrogen
fuel to power such a car will create huge amounts of energy loss
during electrolysis and other processes. Even more problematic,
the infrastructure needed to create a complete refueling structure
is unthinkable for at least a very long time.
Still, with the future of motoring a massive unknown, BMW just
might prove everybody wrong.
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