BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
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From: From Akron, OH to Raleigh, NC
BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060912/..._hydrogen_dc_1
Ok, ok... so it isn't the fastest thing in the world... but an underpowered luxury sedan running on hydrogen for about the same monthly payment as the same model with it's typical engine is definitely a huge step! 
MUNICH (Reuters) - BMW will roll out the world's first hydrogen-burning car in serial production early next year, the German premium automaker said on Tuesday, eager to put its stamp on cars with green credentials.
The specially equipped 7-Series executive cars emit only water vapor when running on hydrogen.
The car hits the market next April and will be shown at the Los Angeles car show in November, the company said. It had said in March the hydrogen cars would arrive within two years.
A spokesman said the car would be leased to selected customers rather than sold because of its high price. Leasing rates would be similar to those for a top-end BMW 760LI with a full-service package.
The BMW 7 Series Hydrogen 7 Saloon is powered by a 260 hp twelve-cylinder engine and accelerates from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.5 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 230 km/h.
BMW has said it intends to build a few hundred such cars at first. They will be able to switch between burning standard petrol and hydrogen so that drivers will not be left stranded while the infrastructure to deliver hydrogen is built up.
"The integration of hydrogen drive in an existing vehicle concept which has already proven its merits in the market paves the way for an alternative to conventional drive concepts fully accepted in the market and with all the assets the customer is looking for in practice," BMW said.
The space that two fuel tanks take up means only the 7-Series will offer the hydrogen package at first. BMW's long-term goal is to offer hydrogen motors in all its cars.
BMW unveiled the world's fastest hydrogen-powered car at the 2004 Paris auto show. Dubbed the H2R, it can exceed 300 kilometers (185 miles) per hour and reaches 100 km per hour from a standing start in around six seconds.
While BMW is developing fuel-cell driven cars as well, it says it is concentrating on the combustion engine because the sum total of its features and characteristics offers the largest number of advantages and benefits all in one.
The specially equipped 7-Series executive cars emit only water vapor when running on hydrogen.
The car hits the market next April and will be shown at the Los Angeles car show in November, the company said. It had said in March the hydrogen cars would arrive within two years.
A spokesman said the car would be leased to selected customers rather than sold because of its high price. Leasing rates would be similar to those for a top-end BMW 760LI with a full-service package.
The BMW 7 Series Hydrogen 7 Saloon is powered by a 260 hp twelve-cylinder engine and accelerates from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.5 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 230 km/h.
BMW has said it intends to build a few hundred such cars at first. They will be able to switch between burning standard petrol and hydrogen so that drivers will not be left stranded while the infrastructure to deliver hydrogen is built up.
"The integration of hydrogen drive in an existing vehicle concept which has already proven its merits in the market paves the way for an alternative to conventional drive concepts fully accepted in the market and with all the assets the customer is looking for in practice," BMW said.
The space that two fuel tanks take up means only the 7-Series will offer the hydrogen package at first. BMW's long-term goal is to offer hydrogen motors in all its cars.
BMW unveiled the world's fastest hydrogen-powered car at the 2004 Paris auto show. Dubbed the H2R, it can exceed 300 kilometers (185 miles) per hour and reaches 100 km per hour from a standing start in around six seconds.
While BMW is developing fuel-cell driven cars as well, it says it is concentrating on the combustion engine because the sum total of its features and characteristics offers the largest number of advantages and benefits all in one.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 244
From: From Akron, OH to Raleigh, NC
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
Originally Posted by Good Ph.D
Unless hydrogen becomes a lot more efficient to obtain and produce this sounds like an exercise in vanity to me.
I guess when automobiles were first becoming available running on gasoline there were already gas stations with cheap fuel on every corner, so it was easier to make the transition.
But maybe that wasn't your point? I dunno.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 470
From: Stillwater, OK
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
this is one of my only problems with hydrogen
need to get a little quicker before i start to like them
"world's fastest hydrogen-powered car"
"reaches 100 km per hour from a standing start in around six seconds"
"reaches 100 km per hour from a standing start in around six seconds"
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,977
From: SeVa
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
Originally Posted by Mikes25thAnnTA
So, basically... you're saying we should just give up and use gas until there is none left?
I guess when automobiles were first becoming available running on gasoline there were already gas stations with cheap fuel on every corner, so it was easier to make the transition.
But maybe that wasn't your point? I dunno.
I guess when automobiles were first becoming available running on gasoline there were already gas stations with cheap fuel on every corner, so it was easier to make the transition.
But maybe that wasn't your point? I dunno.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 228
From: South Bend, Indiana
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
Well guess what, even though it says you cant only lease, its not true. My uncle has been on a waiting list for the past two years I believe. He owns a company dedicated clean energy and I guess he was able to afford it. Hes also in the midst converting hybrid cars to hydrogen. Could you imagine owning a hyrdogen hybrid? He certainly has the money but I cant believe how much hes going to pay for it, especially since he claims hes going to own the first one in the United States. You may call BS but I've heard him talking about this for a long time now and he seems to have a rediculous amount of money.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,597
From: Mack and Bewick
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
Originally Posted by bossco
No, his point probably was, that it takes more energy and by association produces more pollution to create the hydrogen fuel than the car saves in both oil consumption and pollution production. Or essentially, like pure electrics, hydrogen powered cars are really just a smoke and mirrors bit that really doesnt produce a net reduction in either oil consumption or pollution production.
But from most of what I read about hydrogen there are some very big hurdles before it even begins to be worth while. Im all for alternative fuels but lets be realistic.
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 269
From: Metairie La.
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
You're not really gaining anything since most of the hydrogen is processed from fossil fuels. You can't drill a hole in the ground and pump out hydrogen like you do with oil. So where are you going to get it from?
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Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 4,320
From: Memphis
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
Originally Posted by Good Ph.D
Unless hydrogen becomes a lot more efficient to obtain and produce this sounds like an exercise in vanity to me.
The fact that they're mass producting hybrids and people are buying them now means in another 10 years you can be SURE that we will be lightyears further down the road in hybrid technology R&D than we would have been if we had decided to do nothing about it until it absolutely positively made financial sense and wasn't just a good idea in theory.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 390
From: Huntsville, AL
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
im just glad there are hydrogen combustion engines coming out instead of that fuel cell crap. im all for a switch to hydrogen if we get to keep burning the fuel.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,600
From: Pewee Valley, KY
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
Originally Posted by Jackass
You're not really gaining anything since most of the hydrogen is processed from fossil fuels. You can't drill a hole in the ground and pump out hydrogen like you do with oil. So where are you going to get it from?
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Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 10,285
From: Albany, NY
Re: BMW 7-Series hydrogen car available in APRIL!
Originally Posted by Good Ph.D
Unless hydrogen becomes a lot more efficient to obtain and produce this sounds like an exercise in vanity to me.
