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.

Sometimes, there's just not a lot to add to a story. You probably already know that BMW makes a hydrogen capable version of its top-of-the-line 7-Series sedan. You probably already know that they are strategically giving those sedans away to famous people, dignitaries and well-known environmentally friendly individuals. You may even know that the BMW Hydrogen 7-Series makes less power on hydrogen and can travel less distance on that super-abundant fuel than it can when switched over to gas. So, without any further ado...

Famed tenor Placido Domingo is the latest person to have a Hydrogen 7 endowed upon him. Says Domingo, "It is an honor to be taking part in this initiative by BMW to educate, inform and, ultimately, to impact how we as a society think about alternative energy and the health of our planet. Having worked on numerous natural disaster relief efforts, I've witnessed first-hand the profound impact that environmental and climate changes can have on humanity. I feel it is the duty of everyone on this planet to learn, become involved in the fight, accept change and be part of the solution."

I know... not the most interesting post of the day. But, it's news and hydrogen's a hot topic on these pages.. so, there you go. If you want to read the news straight from BMW, the press release has been pasted after the break. Have at it!

[Source: BMW]

I saw this ad on TV while watching Alan Greenspan on the Daily Show the other night. The ex-fed chair on a fake comedy news show was not strange enough so BMW decided to advertise a car that runs on hydrogen, that they only intend to sell deploy to select customers. This is not as bad as GM advertising a car they are not selling but it's close. Anyway, the animated water car is kinda cool and you gotta love the ending: "Ready for the world. When the world is ready." I wonder if this ad could air in Norway?

[Source: YouTube]

The video above is an interview about the BMW Hydrogen 7. There are some BOLD claims in this video. The "shell" can keep "soup" hot for months and an "ice man" cold for "17 years." You also get a look at the "H2 button" in the test drive of the Hydrogen 7. Two more videos are below the flow. The first includes a look at a special light and exhaust cover on the back of the hybrid BMW X6 that will tell the public when you are in EV mode. The third video is all about the F 700 hybrid BMW Mercedes Benz.

[Source: YouTube]

Six months ago, we talked about electric vehicles on the moon. And now lookee here, NASA is taking a look at the BMW Hydrogen 7.

Specifically, the Space Shuttle Endeavour launch yesterday marked the last day of an eight-week test drive period during which NASA employees "had full access to the fleet of BMW Hydrogen 7s, which run on a form of liquid hydrogen similar to what NASA uses in its shuttles." The test was part of the Space Act Agreement, which highlights how NASA and BMW have a "shared commitment to advancing hydrogen technologies and to exploring innovative transportation concepts and alternative energy sources."

Oh, and here's a convenient coincidence: NASA was able to refuel at Cape Canaveral's liquid hydrogen fueling supply. At least some people have access.

[Source: BMW Group]

BMW is working hard to publicize their new, full-operational Hydrogen 7, and I daresay it's going to work. Instead of marketing the bezeeses out of the car like most automakers, they are strategically placing free specimens of the vehicle in the hands of higher-ups, officials and "opinion makers" of London. The Deputy Mayor and London Hydrogen Partnership Chair Nicky Gavron received hers yesterday.

This is only the first of many Hydrogen 7s being given to business leaders and others so they can evaluate the car and its performance. BMW is showing a lot of faith in their product by such a bold PR move. I think if they had such faith in the product, they should be selling them now, as well. Production, however will take time to pick up, however.

The London Hydrogen Partnership endeavors to make England a hydrogen-based economy because of its obvious benefits to the environment (we know, we know, if they get the problems worked out) and the way it reduced the need for foreign oil. Nicky Gavron, who is chairman of said Partnership, will be using the vehicle whenever possible, and says she is committed to making London one of the world centers for hydrogen, and taking any necessary step to reducing emissions harmful to the environment. She also says, "I am pleased the have this opportunity to try out the BMW Hydrogen 7 car." Yeah, BMW, I'd be pleased too.

[Source: BMW]

As part of a needed and well-orchestrated publicity move, the BMW Hydrogen 7-series is going to take part in the Revolve Brighton to London rally today. This rally is specifically for low- to zero-emissions vehicles. The event immediately follows the Hydrogen 7's launch at the PGA Championship in Wentworth, U.K. and will demonstrate that it is indeed a functional production hydrogen vehicle.

The rally will begin on Madeira Drive in Brighton, and end at Trafalgar Square in London, and three of the new cars will take part. This event will spread awareness that zero-emissions vehicles are not just right around the corner, but here, now. BMW gets its name up at the forefront of this news, and they deserve it. The cars will be paraded before the eyes of the Prince of Wales, the Deputy Mayor of London, as well as many other high officials. The approval of these politicians and leaders will have a significant bearing on the progress of the technology and its infrastructure. So I guess BMW's biggest luxury sedan is the right vehicle for the job of impressing these guys.

[Source: BMW]

The automobile company initially produced a small series of 100 BMW Hydrogen 7s which are being used by selected representatives from industry, politics and society. The first person awarded one is the Board Chairman of Sixt AG, Erich Sixt. Sixt is Germany's largest car rental company for many years, with some 1,600 rental stations in over 85 countries.

"We have to be open to new engine technologies - after all, we know that fossil fuels are in finite supply," Sixt said in a statement. "Hydrogen has the potential to surpass petrol and diesel in the long term. BMW is on the right path - and a pioneer in the field. I am pleased to receive the BMW Hydrogen 7 and look forward to finding out about the interaction between hydrogen and petrol operation."

Dear gentlemen at BMW: Can we ask for one? Although we would have really a hard time looking for a Hydrogen pump station (although the Hydrogen 7 runs on unleaded, too) or a parking spot.

[Source: BMW]

Eight zero-emissions BMW Hydrogen 7s have rolled onto the shores of Blighty, and they will spend the summer in service at a variety of high-profile events, helping to build awareness and, of course, shuttle VIPs hither and yon at the same time. Naturally, they'll be on hand for the journos at the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and traders) test day, after which we can expect to see multiple accounts of what driving the car is like in a variety of British publications. Beyond that, it's slated to appear at unnamed political and environmental gatherings, the PGA Championship, and big-time, high-profile enthusiast happenings such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Finally, an anointed few Super VIPs will be handed the keyfobs to some of the cars for limited personal use, to better acclimate themselves with what driving a hydrogen-powered car is really like. We're sure BMW hopes the experience is such that it causes them to vocally advocate the technology to their friends, the press, and so on.

BMW's full press release is pasted after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

When Margo Oge, director of the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, mentioned that ethanol production is way past the governments mandates, this article says that Cristoph Huss, BMW senior vice president for science and traffic policy, shook his head. He suggests that BMW still sees hydrogen as the long-term answer to the automotive problems of emissions and energy needs. This, despite the fact that U.S. consumers are shifting more towards renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Perhaps this is because the hydrogen economy is very far off, while biofuels are here and now. The question could be asked, how long should we wait for hydrogen before exploring our other options? Even if hydrogen does emerge as the best option long-term, should the short-term solutions be ignored?

It should be noted that BMW is working with DaimlerChrysler and GM on hybrid technology and could possibly bring some of their high-output diesels to the U.S. market. Remember, too, that BMW currently offers their dual-fuel Hydrogen 7 which is capable of running its ICE on hydrogen or gasoline.

[Source: Detroit News]

Sometimes being a slave to fashion, such as myself (cough cough... ahem. "Yeah right", my wife mutters) has its disadvantages. I mean, knowing what clothing to purchase, what kinds of shoes to wear, how to get my hair styled (towel-dried) and what magazines to read takes a whole heap of time! Or, I suppose I could just read wallpaper.com, where they will just let me know and I won't need to do the research myself. Let's give them a trial run, shall we?

Click here to see their showcase of "101 beautiful, innovative but environmentally friendly designs - from the worlds of architecture, beauty, fashion, food, packaging, product design, transport and travel - from all over the world." What have they chosen for their transportation choices? None other than the BMW Hydrogen 7 and the ENV fuel cell motorcycle. Now, remember when rating these choices, they are going for good design, not what they think will turn out to be successful. So, no matter what you think of hydrogen as a fuel carrier, what do you think of the Hydrogen 7's design? Or, what about the ENV? I'll cast my vote for the ENV personally, as I think they did a very good job on the design of the bike, regardless of what it is powered by. Feel free to comment yourself if you think you can do better.

[Source: Wallpaper magazine via Treehugger]

The Alternative Fuels & Vehicles expo featured a lot of cars running on future technologies - hybrids, pure electric, clean diesel, hydrogen, E85. This short video captures the essence of these cars, including the ethanol Hummer, as they tooled around the Anaheim Conference Center area. You like the Hydrogen 7? Got it. The little three-wheeled Zap!? Check. The Brabus Smart diesel? Very nice. And so on.

Enjoy.

We brought you news of the Giugiaro VAD.HO concept which was shown in Geneva at the Motor Show, and now we have some live pictures of the machine from the show floor.

What makes this concept vehicle worthy of carrying the green image? None other than the BMW Hydrogen 7's V12 engine, mounted on the side of the vehicle normally occupied by the passenger. So... where is the passenger? Right behind the driver, fighter jet style. Pretty cool stuff, which is good since this is a concept vehicle, and that is what they are supposed to be. While I'm not holding my breath to see if this vehicle makes it into production, I can at least view the pictures of the only one in existence at the moment. You can too.

Related:

• Geneva preview: Giugiaro Vadho uses BMW hydrogen V12 engine

[Source: Autoblog]

"Hydrogen: Here And Now!" This is theme of the upcoming Hydrogen Expo in San Antonio, Texas, to be held March 19-21. The question is, should it be "Hydrogen: Here And Now? And, if not now, when?" To get a sneak peek at the possible answers to these questions, perhaps you should attend the expo. At the very least, you will have a chance to sit behind the wheel and even drive one of the fuel cell vehicles that will be there, including the BMW Hydrogen 7.

In addition to the cars, there will be examples of hydrogen fueling for your home, your portable electronics and generators. Will any of these technologies become commonplace in the future? Nobody really knows for sure. Judging from comments on our site, there are doubters. However, there are some very smart people working on how to make the "hydrogen economy" a reality. Why not go to the expo and find out yourself?

[Source: Hydrogen Expo via Earthtoys]

As promised earlier, here is the second of the super high performance cars that will be shown at the upcoming Auto Show in Geneva. As I said earlier, each of these vehicles was previewed on Autoblog yesterday, and you can find the link to their coverage here. So, without further ado, I present the Giugiaro Vadho concept. This machine does not run on ethanol, as does the Koenigsegg CCXR we showed you earlier; instead it relys on hydrogen. While ethanol's contribution to alternative fuels is debatable, it's power output is not, which is why there is increased interest in its use as a racing or high performance fuel. Hydrogen, on the other hand, has debatable merit on both counts. A hydrogen based engine makes much less power than it's gasoline-fueled sibling does. This fact is evident when you consider that this vehicle uses the same engine as the V12 BMW Hydrogen 7, which makes 260 HP as compared to the 438 HP it makes running on gasoline. The upside is that you can switch to gasoline at the flick of a switch in the Hydrogen 7. There was no mention made of whether this option is available on the Giugiaro Vadho. The downside is that you will be emitting much more harmful exhaust while running the engine on the higher power of gasoline. So, if you were able to buy the Vadho, which you currently cannot, and you lived near a hydrogen filling station like this one, then you can do your part to help the environment.

Other interesting features of the concept Vadho include the seating arrangement. The driver sits in front of the passenger as in a jet fighter. The engine sits to the right of the occupants. Watch for further coverage of this vehicle when our friends from Autoblog visit Geneva.

[Source: Autoblog]