BMW has unveiled a hydrogen-powered car that has successfully completed the process of series development.
The BMW Hydrogen 7, with its hydrogen combustion engine, is the result of a consistent development strategy and renders this concept of sustained mobility fully suitable for regular use in today's world.
BMW's 7 series Hydrogen 7 saloon is powered by a 191kW (260HP) twelve-cylinder engine that accelerates it from 0-100 km/h in 9.5 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 230 km/h (143 mph). And because a widely available supply of hydrogen is not guaranteed, the dual-mode power unit featured in the BMW Hydrogen 7 switches over quickly and conveniently to conventional premium gasoline.
Offering the world this highly practical vehicle, BMW is not only demonstrating its leadership in technology in the area of future-oriented drive systems. Rather, the integration of a hydrogen drive in an existing vehicle concept that has already proven its merits in the market paves the way for an alternative to conventional drive concepts. The launch of the BMW Hydrogen 7 is therefore a milestone on the road to an era of mobility that is independent of fossil fuels - not only for the BMW Group but also for the entire automotive and energy industry.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 clearly proves, therefore, that liquid hydrogen may be used as a source of energy for production cars. Indeed, by introducing the BMW Hydrogen 7, the BMW Group is establishing a momentum for the ongoing development of a supply infrastructure.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 is not simply a research project, but has successfully completed the entire product development process (PDP) that is obligatory for all new BMWs. In this process all components of the new technology were integrated into the overall vehicle according to the same criteria applied to 'regular' production cars. Hence the BMW Hydrogen 7 has reached a level of development that is significantly beyond the status of other hydrogen prototypes and demonstration cars built so far, and allowing homologation under the usual rules and standards in both Germany and the ECE.
The knowledge gained in the product development process has not only made a decisive contribution to the everyday driving qualities of the BMW Hydrogen 7, but has also had a positive effect on the features and qualities of all individual components. In the product development process each and every component as well as the overall vehicle is analysed and checked to the smallest detail to determine whether it meets the requirements of series production.
Entering the market as the first hydrogen car for everyday use, the BMW Hydrogen 7 is a milestone - and at the same time it introduces a new era in car production. The knowledge gained in developing the car will have a significant influence on the development and production of future hydrogen car concepts, with the principle of dual-mode drive as well as the features of other components now going through the strict test of everyday driving practice.
For more information, visit www.bmwgroup.com
"
