BMW must think that people who spend their days planning how to leave this earth are the right target for the Hydrogen 7 hype. Last fall, a fleet of the dual-fuel cars spent two months at NASA; this month the Atlantis Space Shuttle crew chilling in Munich (visiting the BMW Group as part of a tour of Germany) got a chance to test out the luxury vehicle. It worked, as Space Shuttle Commander Stephen Frick is now a fan. In a statement (available after the jump) he said, "It's impressive to see hydrogen functioning so smoothly in cars as well. What I find most striking is that a car running on hydrogen performs just as well as a petrol-driven model." It's always good to remember at times like this that the H7 can run on hydrogen or petrol, and there's nothing in BMW's media release that says the car was running on H2 when Frick was on board.

Photo credit: Vince Bucci/Getty Images. Click to enlarge.

Last night, for a special screening of the movie version of "Sex and the City," star Kristen Davis got a ride in the dual-fuel BMW Hydrogen 7. Davis rode the car to the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood, California. While I'm sure the drama was kept on-screen, let's not forget that co-star Kim Cattrall is really more into the Mercedes GLK Freeside, as she proved with her appearance at the Detroit Auto Show in January. In fact, the GLK Freeside is featured in the movie, if preview materials are to be believed. In any case, the movie opens nationwide today. That hydrogen-powered car? Not quite as available.


[Source: Rubenstein Communications, Inc.]

Pretty soon, we're going to have to list the people who aren't driving a BMW Hydrogen 7. BMW is offering the car to celebrities, average citizens and politicians the world over. Some of us get to drive it around the block, others get to keep it for a week or two. The latest to be handed the keys is EU Parliamentary president Hans-Gert Pöttering (pictured), who stepped into the car yesterday in Strasburg. BMW says (after the jump) that this move was "In line with the European Parliament's efforts to take measures to reduce its own CO₂ emissions." Pöttering will use the car for work-related trips. For his part, Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of BMW AG, said the Hydrogen 7 "shows that we have initial solutions and are on the right track" and that for "regeneratively produced hydrogen has the most potential to secure our mobility in the future." Potential, always with the potential.

When we first heard about the new mono-fuel BMW Hydrogen 7, we were rather impressed by the extremely low emissions numbers posted by the model when tested at Argonne National Laboratory. The fact that BMW was able to reduce the emissions, boast better range and make more power as compared to their previous-generation Hydrogen 7 was pretty cool. According to Dr. Thomas Wallner, lead engineer in Argonne's hydrogen vehicle testing activities, "[The Hydrogen 7's] engine actively cleans the air. Argonne's testing shows that the Hydrogen 7's engine actually shows emissions levels that, for certain components, such as Non Methane Organic Gases (NMOG's) and Carbon Monoxides (CO's), are cleaner than the ambient air that comes into the car's engine."

So, because air is required for the hydrogen combustion, and there are pollutants already present in the air, at times the exhaust from the BMW is cleaner than the air it took in. Does that warrant BMW referring to their hydrogen-burner as a "pollution-consuming internal combustion engine?" Perhaps we're just picking nits, but that sounds a wee bit like greenwashing. It's not like the overall air is cleaner after going through the system, after all. Read their entire press release after the break.

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A lot of green cars have made their way to the EVER MONACO exhibit: the Th!nk City, the Citroën Berlingo Venturi, the Venturi Astrolab and the Citroën C5 Airdream. You don't think BMW would let a chance like this slip by without trotting out the Hydrogen 7, do you?

They didn't. BMW handed over the keys to a dual-fuel-powered 7 series to Monaco's Prince Albert II (left in the picture above) yesterday, calling the vehicle's use part of the Principality's "Sustainable Environmental Protection" program. The prince said in a statement (pasted after the jump) that he looked forward to "discovering the advantages of the BMW Hydrogen 7 with interest over the coming weeks," and said he was keen on technologies that reduce people's environmental impact. Hopefully, he'll let everyone know just what those advantages are. Does Monaco even have a hydrogen filling station? Green Car Advisor says no, and that the car comes with its own tanker for the prince to use.

So far all the Hydrogen 7s that BMW has produced and distributed have been dual fuel vehicles that are capable of running on either hydrogen or gasoline. This is helpful since the H7 only has a range of about 100 miles from its tank of liquid hydrogen. BMW has now built a mono-fuel hydrogen only version of the H7 that has been optimized for running on the alternative fuel. By not having to compromise the engine to run on gasoline, BMW has been able to improve performance, reduce fuel consumption and extend the range. The mono-fuel H7 was recently tested at the Argonne National Lab which found out the exhaust gases were actually cleaner than the ambient air going into the engine. BMW will release more specifics about the mono-fuel H7 in two weeks at the SAE World Congress. For now, the mono-fuel H7 is just a tech demonstrator with no production plans.

[Source: BMW]

There are many hurdles standing in the way of hydrogen becoming widespread as an energy carrier for our vehicles, either by the direct burning of it in internal combustion engines or in fuel cells. Very few hydrogen refueling centers exist today, and the gas is difficult to capture, transport and store. One thing is certain regarding hydrogen, though: it can offer extremely low emissions, as it does in BMW's hydrogen-burning V12 engine.

BMW's Hydrogen 7 had to be tested at Argonne National Laboratory's Center for Transportation Research because the emissions are so minute that most test-beds would not be able to detect them at all. "The BMW Hydrogen 7's emissions were only a fraction of SULEV level, making it one of the lowest emitting combustion engine vehicles that have been manufactured," said Thomas Wallner, a mechanical engineer at Argonne. In fact, Wallner adds, "the car's engine actively cleans the air. Argonne's testing shows that the Hydrogen 7's 12-cylinder engine actually shows emissions levels that, for certain components, are cleaner than the ambient air that comes into the car's engine."

The emissions from a hydrogen car have never been the problem. The problem is getting the hydrogen. The hope is that as technology continues advancing forward, new ways to capture, store and distribute hydrogen will make it cheaper and more environmentally friendly, allowing the world to consider hydrogen as one method of reducing our oil dependence. Details after the jump.

Are you planning to go to Paris from April 1st to the 6th? If so, it'd be a good chance to visit the Palais de la Découverte, which is not only a stunning building as you can see in the above picture, but where the Week for Sustainable Development will be held. This event will include a set of hydrogen-related activities.

For instance, a couple of French universities will show how to obtain hydrogen from micro-algae, and another university will show a bacterial process that processes waste into hydrogen and something which can be translated as "bio-inspired catalyzing for hydrogen production." Last but not least, a project which obtains hydrogen from solar cells will also be shown. The activities also include discussions on how to store and use hydrogen: fuel cells, cells made from oxides, chemical storage, hybrid composite materials, gas storage, metal hydrates.

The ubiquitous BMW Hydrogen 7 will also make an appearance, as an example of the application of using hydrogen in internal combustion engines, and people will be able to ask for a ride.

[Source: Palais de la Découverte]

Actor Jason Bateman is finally get a decent set of wheels. After being relegated to the Bluth family's stair car, a scorched old Mercedes and his bicycle for two underwatched seasons on Arrested Development, Bateman is now getting one of BMW's Hydrogen 7s. Bateman is the latest in the list of celebrities to be loaned one of Munich's dual fuel hydrogen wonders. BMW has built about 100 of the Hydrogen 7 sedans that retain a V-12 engine but can run on either gasoline or liquid hydrogen. Since the car only has a range of about 100 miles on hydrogen, the gasoline option comes in handy.

[Source: BMW]

The BMW Hydrogen 7 "green" message is going to Asia. While many of the cars are still tooling around Hollywood with various celebrities at the wheel (who's the latest? check back in a few hours), five have been sent to Singapore for a two-and-a-half-week promotion. Two government representatives, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, and the chief of Singapore's national environment agency, Mr. Lee Yuen Hee, came to the BMW CleanEnergy pavilion a week ago to kick off the event. Like the celebrity vehicles here in the U.S. and Europe, the dual-fueled 7 Series will be used to ferry VIPs around Singapore. One, though, will remain on display "in a futuristic, glass-and-steel pavilion located on state land in the heart of Singapore," to make sure everyone gets a chance to be awed at just how unavailable the hydrogen economy is. The vehicles will be in Singapore until the 23rd. There's more after the jump.

Let's see: Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Jay Leno, Jeremy Piven, Will Ferrell, Placido Domingo. Oh, and Terry Tamminen. These are just some of the celebrities that BMW has convinced of the goodness of the dual fuel (gasoline and hydrogen) BMW Hydrogen 7. The next movie star to take the wheel of one of these luxury vehicles is Ed Norton - who is both an advocate for solar energy and was awesome in Fight Club. The celebs are taking part in BMW's "Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program," a PR campaign that "gives industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics, business and more a BMW Hydrogen 7 for their daily use." The peons - that is, us - can only drive a Hydrogen 7 in rare instances, like around the block at special events. Still, the H7 is a production model, albeit one that is available only in limited quantities. Press release pasted after the jump.

While General Motors is providing a fleet of seventy-five alternative fuel vehicles. including fuel cell Equinoxes, and flex-fuel and hybrid Tahoes to shuttle the special people to the Oscars red carpet, others are finding their own rides. Among them is Cameron Diaz who will be getting dropped of in front of the camera line by a BMW Hydrogen 7. The H7 is a equipped with a dual fuel system that allows the V-12 engine to run on either gasoline or liquified hydrogen. Like other hydrogen-fueled internal combustion vehicles the H7 emits pretty much only water (and some trace amounts of NOx) when it's running on hydrogen. BMW's decision to follow the internal combustion path allows them to utilize their engine expertise, but the result is far less efficient than a fuel cell. Using liquid hydrogen also allows them to carry more hydrogen on board, but the insulated storage tank is much larger and heavier and the hydrogen boils off and must be vented to atmosphere. Still, celebs like the car a trend Brad Pitt helped start last summer.


[Source: BMW]

If you wanted to see more footage of the BMW Hydrogen 7, here's a nice video showing it on Hong Kong's old runway (Kai Tak). An editor from the Southern China Morning Post was taken for a ride and got a small lesson on how the BMW Hydrogen 7 works, its mileage, the different performance levels when running on gasoline or hydrogen and the unavailability and high cost of filling it up with the latter. Don't miss the segment on safety measures at the filling station.

Related:

• The BMW Hydrogen 7 on display in Australia early next year
• Video: Entourage star Jeremy Piven drives BMW Hydrogen 7
• Video: Jay Leno speaking about the goodness of the BMW Hydrogen 7

[Source: YouTube, h/t to James for the link]

BMW is happy displaying its array of pollution-reducing technologies and is taking them and the Hydrogen 7 to Australia. So if you happen to be in Melbourne's Federation Square from 21 - 29 January, you will be able to see them in person. The exhibition will be placed inside a specific pavilion with information panels about BMW's achievements.

As in other countries, the BMW Hydrogen 7 will be used to give a rides to political and business leaders, as well as members from media and the environment protection. BMW states that the Hydrogen 7 tour is set to demonstrate the "practicality of the technology and expose it as widely as possible."

Related:

• BMW announces sale of the 2.0d engine in Australia
• Video: Entourage star Jeremy Piven drives BMW Hydrogen 7
• Now it's time for high-end politicians: BMW Hydrogen 7 at the Quirinale

[Source: BMW]

A small fleet of BMW Hydrogen 7s was introduced to the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, whose official site is the Palazzo dil Quirinale, and the delegations for the World Energy Congress (WEC) which was held in Rome last week.

The fleet was presented to the President at the Quirinale during a summit with a delegation of the WEC led by Chicco Testa, President of the WEC. Also on hand was Andrea Castronovo, BMW Italia's CEO. The WEC was celebrating its 20th Congress, a world-wide energy-related event, since 1924.

Related:

• Wired LivingHome gets a BMW Hydrogen 7 in the garage
• BMW Hydrogen 7 transporting celebrities during Rome Film Festival
• Plácido Domingo next in line to get a BMW Hydrogen 7

[Source: BMW Italia]