BMW Hydrogen 7 World Debut at LA Auto Show

Press Release

Premiere of World’s First Hydrogen-Drive Luxury performance Automobile

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 tomrrow 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.