Source: zibb.nl / translation: Ilir Dibrani
BMW will be the first carproducer in the world that will be producing hydrogen-powered cars for the consumers.
In 2008 the first serial-produced 760h's will roll out of the factory, based on the study-racecar, the H2R, and having the same technological features.
Initially, there will be a couple of hundred 760i's which will be equipped with a 6.0 liter V12, producing 285HP, and reaching a topspeed of 302.4 km/h (on hydrogen). Ofcourse the topspeed will be limited to 250 km/h, like all other factory BMW's.
Two years ago BMW received subsidy from the US-government to do a more thorough research in hydrogen engines (fuel-cell).
The H2R 7-series will have a conventional combustion-engine, and the hydrogen will be stored in a seperate tank (like LPG).
The first hydrogen-based cars on the roads will be seen in Munchen and Berlin, where there is the possibility to fill up your car with hydrogen.
BMW hopes that the production of hydrogen-based cars will lead to the start of a whole new era of environmental-friendly transport, and the facilities to make this possible.
In a Dutch paper, the "Algemeen Dagblad", Diederik Reitsma of BMW Netherlands says: "We hope that the introduction of the 7-series will make an end to the chicken-egg story about hydrogen... As long as there are hardly any hydrogen-powered cars, there will be no hydrogen gas-stations, and as long as there aren't any hydrogen gas-stations, not a lot of hydrogen-powered cars will be sold. We think we can break through this impasse..." (translated from Dutch).
