I am just back from a week spent driving BMW?s Hydrogen 7er in Southern California. The car drives just like a non-Hydrogen 7er, which is a good thing of course. In other words, you can?t really tell the difference (except for the word Hydrogen all over).

There is one difference: the output (exhaust) of the car in H2 mode is Wasser!

I picked up the car in Oxnard (saw a few mules driving around ) at BMW?s research facility. I then spent two nights in Newport Beach (Fairmont, for the curious) and then two days in Santa Monica (also Fairmont).

The car got everyone?s attention, on the freeway, the PCH, pulling into hotels (the Newport Beach?s Fairmont?s general manager offered to swap his 3er with me). The Santa Monica hotel staff insisted I park way up front (they said it was good for the hotel?s image).

Kudos to the Fairmont chain - all hybrid cars (including mine) park for free (regular price, $28/p.d.).

The changeover from H2 to petrol at speed is undetectable. The engineering that had to have gone into this vehicle is incredible.

A word about H2 technology. At best, this is 10-15 years off, if it happens at all. There is no infrastructure now for pumping liquid hydrogen and that has to be in place if anyone is to really market the cars.

BMW is producing ca. 100, with most staying in Germany and perhaps up to 25 coming to the U.S. They are not for sale but BMW is inviting people to drive them for several months (my period was more limited because I live on the east coast and it wasn?t practical for me to spend three months there).

Fotos

1.) Hydrogen 7er at the filling station

2.) Bordmonitor?s display when you are out of hydrogen

3.) Cluster shows both fuels

4.) Door sill

5.) Hydrogen tank in trunk

6.) Ocean view from my hotel

7.) Car parked way up front

8.) Tank details

 

Interesting Technology..
Do you know about the price of those cars that'll be using H2 in the future?

 

That would be 10-15 years in the future. We?re not sure about the 2010 5er yet.

 

Thanks for the write-up Jonathan. It looks and sounds like you had a ball!

 

It was fun!

 

How did you get to drive the hydrogen 7, I thought they were giving it to celebrity figures and political figures.

 

Do you know if this 7er passed through northern CA (the bay area) about a month or two ago? I saw two being offloaded from a trailer in Redwood City - a very strange place to do this as there are no dealers close by...

 

interesting... thanks for sharing man.

 

Certainly beats a Prius!

Just a theory could you drink the water that comes out the back, or does it have anything else mixed into it? Could be the first on board drinks dispenser...!

 

By invitation and I think BMW is giving it to people with interest and influence in a variety of circles.