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.

Here's a blast from the past.

Jack is one of the few celebrities that BMW hasn't given a Hydrogen 7 to for a few days. Maybe that's because Mr. Nicholson isn't impressed with hydrogen technology in 2008. Why wouldn't he be impressed? Well, he he was cruising the streets of Hollywood using (somewhat) similar technology thirty years ago. The Chevy in question has been modified to burn hydrogen in an ICE instead of gasoline and, for extra green points, the hydrogen was made using solar power. Pay attention to how hopeful Nicholson sounds when he talks about how the political world would change if we shifted from gasoline to hydrogen. Have we made any progress in the last three decades?

Watch the video after the jump. Thanks to Nick for the tip!