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The ground-breaking BMW Hydrogen 7 has been presented to
Deputy Mayor of London and London Hydrogen Partnership Chair, Nicky Gavron, at
City Hall to raise awareness of hydrogen as an alternative energy source for
tomorrow's consumers.
BMW UK's Head of Government and Industrial Affairs, John
Hollis, handed over the BMW Hydrogen 7 for the use of the Deputy Mayor. Hydrogen
is an efficient and clean form of power supply resulting in only water vapour
exiting the exhaust. The car is part of BMW's initiative to encourage debate
around the role of hydrogen in the economy. For the next two months, cars will
be evaluated in the UK by business leaders and opinion formers.
John Hollis said: "BMW is a pioneer in the development and use
of hydrogen as a fuel source and shares the vision of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor
that London should be one of the world centres for Hydrogen. In recognition of
the work the Mayor's Office has done in this field, BMW would like it to be the
first public organisation in the country to have the use of a Hydrogen 7 car.”
Deputy London Mayor, Nicky Gavron, said: “I am committed to
improving the health and quality of life of Londoners through the use of cleaner
technologies such as hydrogen vehicles which reduce harmful emissions into the
atmosphere. I am pleased to have this opportunity to try out the BMW Hydrogen 7
car. As the Chair of the London Hydrogen Partnership, I want to encourage the
use of hydrogen vehicles that emit only water vapour and no harmful emissions,
but I also want to be able to talk with first hand experience about these
vehicles. I am pleased that BMW has given me this opportunity.”
The BMW Hydrogen 7 in detail
The BMW Hydrogen 7 is based on the existing 7 Series and comes
equipped with an internal combustion engine capable of running on hydrogen or
petrol. In hydrogen mode the car emits nothing more than water vapour. Powered
by a 191kW 12-cylinder engine, the Hydrogen 7 accelerates from zero to 100km/h
in 9.5 seconds before going on to an electronically-limited 230 km/h top speed.
With its unique dual power engine, the driver of a Hydrogen 7
can switch quickly and conveniently from hydrogen to conventional petrol power
at the press of a steering wheel-mounted button. The dual power technology means
the car has a cruising range in excess of 200 kilometres in the hydrogen mode
with a further 500 kilometres under petrol power. To make this possible the BMW
Hydrogen 7 comes with a conventional 74-litre petrol tank and an additional
hydrogen fuel tank holding up to 8kgs of liquid hydrogen. Such flexibility means
the driver of a BMW Hydrogen 7 is able to use the vehicle at all times, even
when the nearest hydrogen filling station is out of range. A filling station has
been developed in Wembley to support BMW’s plans.
Unlike many previous hydrogen concept cars showcased by rival
manufacturers the BMW Hydrogen 7 heralds a milestone in the history of the car.
It is a full production ready vehicle, which has met all the stringent processes
and final sign-off criteria that every current BMW model undergoes.
100 Hydrogen 7 cars have been built for worldwide evaluation
with six cars in the UK over the summer. To understand more and join the debate,
visit www.clubofpioneers.com
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