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, along with many others, has gained a reputation for reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by using efficient petrol engines.

Together with clean diesel engines and the technologically advanced hybrid systems currently under development within the BMW EfficientDynamics project, the BMW Group has a 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 premium grade unleaded petrol.

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 tomorrow and driving pleasure of today are compatible, with the drive concept of BMW Hydrogen 7 being directly transferable to future models.