BMW Hydrogen 7: One Step Forward To A Better Environment
Have you ever thought about what effect pollution from the cars we’re driving have on the environment? BMW has not only thought about that, but are already looking into possible solutions. The German car manufacturer wants you to consider hydrogen as the fuel source of the future and have created the BMW Hydrogen 7.
Senior Director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Division David Champion had the opportunity to drive a hydrogen-powered BMW 7 Series and shares his impressions with his readers.
The Hydrogen 7 is hybrid/flex-fuel/bi-fuel car that can run on both hydrogen and gasoline. This switch can be done on the fly by simply pushing a button on the steering wheel. Otherwise, the cabin is very similar to the regular 7 Series. Trunk space is very limited (smaller even than in a 3 Series) and acceleration seems a bit lethargic.
Another noticeable difference was a slight pinging at low speeds when using hydrogen. The car always starts consuming hydrogen and once the catalysts are up to working temperature, the car can then be switched over to gasoline without any noticeable hesitation. The 6.0-liter V12 engine produces only 265 hp and 287 ft-lb of torque, which is not much for a vehicle that weighs about 5,000 pounds. Those figures explain the rather slow takeoff and the effort needed to merges in to traffic.
According to the blog, drawbacks of the Hydrogen 7 include a small trunk and the fact that hydrogen is not readily available as fuel. However, that’s just a matter of time, and BMW has definitely made a big move towards a cleaner environment. BMW’s Hydrogen 7 might also make other car manufacturers consider producing their own prototype so they don’t get left behind.
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