Hydrogen 7er Report

JSpira · 07-25-2007, 11:12 PM

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

JSpira · 07-25-2007, 11:12 PM

Foto Nr. 8.

Josh49 · 07-25-2007, 11:24 PM

Very interesting..

Cool seeing some real world pictures of this.. I just read BMW's Magazine mostly on the H7 a few weeks ago..

How'd it feel from a power standpoint running solely on Hydrogen?

What about Handling and Braking?

Just curious, I know it's a far way off though.. Just curious how the fuel and added weight altered performance of the 7..

Any comments on feasability of this form of energy?

Thanks in advance!!

BMW F22 · 07-25-2007, 11:24 PM

niiice. thank you for the review. I actually have the BMW magazine issue with the Hydrogen 7 right next to me. hehe

Too bad they're marketing it nationwide for so long.

Josh49 · 07-25-2007, 11:26 PM

That's awesome that you got to drive this.. :rocks:

JSpira · 07-25-2007, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh49

Very interesting..

Cool seeing some real world pictures of this.. I just read BMW's Magazine mostly on the H7 a few weeks ago..

How'd it feel from a power standpoint running solely on Hydrogen?

What about Handling and Braking?

Just curious, I know it's a far way off though.. Just curious how the fuel and added weight altered performance of the 7..

Any comments on feasability of this form of energy?

Thanks in advance!!

It felt just like gasoline when running on H2.

Liquid H2 is pumped into the engine just like gasoline and the engine doesn´t seem to lose any power.

Handling and braking - like a normal 760Li.:rocks:

ward · 07-25-2007, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSpira

It felt just like gasoline when running on H2.

Liquid H2 is pumped into the engine just like gasoline and the engine doesn´t seem to lose any power.

Handling and braking - like a normal 760Li.:rocks:

interesting, I thought I'd read that the hydrogen engines were down on HP pretty signifigantly compared to gasoline

JSpira · 07-26-2007, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ward

interesting, I thought I'd read that the hydrogen engines were down on HP pretty signifigantly compared to gasoline

It's the standard BMW 12 cylinder motor and while I didn't check the specs (yet), it seemed similar.

NaTuReB0Y · 07-26-2007, 12:15 AM

I heard it only has a price tag of $1,000,000 USD........

Who's #1 in line.........?

SpecC · 07-26-2007, 12:45 AM

^that's kinda the price of a regular 7er anyway. i'd like to see how these things turn out

NaTuReB0Y · 07-26-2007, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpecC

^that's kinda the price of a regular 7er anyway. i'd like to see how these things turn out

$1 million USD................

Fredric · 07-26-2007, 01:47 AM

Thank you Jonathan, very interesting. Couldn't quite make it out from the photo in front of the hotel, but appears someone put graffiti on the side of the car.

JSpira · 07-26-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fredric

Couldn't quite make it out from the photo in front of the hotel, but appears someone put graffiti on the side of the car.

DM1 · 07-26-2007, 11:41 AM

That's just great!

Congratulations on doing that, and btw how do I get to do that?

bartman32 · 07-26-2007, 02:01 PM

Nice review Jonathan! Very interesting to see. I hope one day it does become a reality.

SpecC · 07-26-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaTuReB0Y

$1 million USD................

oh 3 zeroes too many confused me a bit!

07-25-2007, 11:12 PM	#1
JSpira Freude am Fahren 355 Rep 5,254 Posts Drives: Fünfer, Dreier, + Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New York, München, Wien iTrader: (1)	Hydrogen 7er Report 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 Attached Images __________________ Freude am Fahren. Jonathan E90 2006 330xi E90 2006 325i E39 2003 530i Sport* E46 2000 328Ci* E36 1996 328iS* E36 1992 325i* E30 1991 318is E21 1982 320iS* E21 1979 320 (6-Zyl)* *retired Nominated: Most Contributing Member
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

07-25-2007, 11:12 PM	#2
JSpira Freude am Fahren 355 Rep 5,254 Posts Drives: Fünfer, Dreier, + Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New York, München, Wien iTrader: (1)	Foto Nr. 8 Foto Nr. 8. Attached Images __________________ Freude am Fahren. Jonathan E90 2006 330xi E90 2006 325i E39 2003 530i Sport* E46 2000 328Ci* E36 1996 328iS* E36 1992 325i* E30 1991 318is E21 1982 320iS* E21 1979 320 (6-Zyl)* *retired Nominated: Most Contributing Member
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2007, 11:24 PM	#3
Josh49 Major General 256 Rep 6,664 Posts Drives: E90 325xi Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (33)	Very interesting.. Cool seeing some real world pictures of this.. I just read BMW's Magazine mostly on the H7 a few weeks ago.. How'd it feel from a power standpoint running solely on Hydrogen? What about Handling and Braking? Just curious, I know it's a far way off though.. Just curious how the fuel and added weight altered performance of the 7.. Any comments on feasability of this form of energy? Thanks in advance!! __________________ E90 325XI, MYSTIC BLUE ON BLACK/ALUM, STEP, NAV, PDC, CWP, XENON, SIRIUS, ALARM, MUD GUARDS, CLEARBRA, CHROME GRILLS AND TIPS, VALENTINE 1 (HARDWIRED), HO CERAMIC 40%, 161'S, REAR FOG MOD, LUX 4.0, BLACKLINES, OEM PEDALS, MTEC FOGS, GRUPPE-M REP INTAKE. 156'S AND RUBBER MATS FOR THE WINTER.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2007, 11:24 PM	#4
BMW F22 Major General 3666 Rep 9,783 Posts Drives: ///M235i Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8)	niiice. thank you for the review. I actually have the BMW magazine issue with the Hydrogen 7 right next to me. hehe Too bad they're marketing it nationwide for so long.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2007, 11:26 PM	#5
Josh49 Major General 256 Rep 6,664 Posts Drives: E90 325xi Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (33)	That's awesome that you got to drive this.. :rocks: __________________ E90 325XI, MYSTIC BLUE ON BLACK/ALUM, STEP, NAV, PDC, CWP, XENON, SIRIUS, ALARM, MUD GUARDS, CLEARBRA, CHROME GRILLS AND TIPS, VALENTINE 1 (HARDWIRED), HO CERAMIC 40%, 161'S, REAR FOG MOD, LUX 4.0, BLACKLINES, OEM PEDALS, MTEC FOGS, GRUPPE-M REP INTAKE. 156'S AND RUBBER MATS FOR THE WINTER.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-26-2007, 12:15 AM	#9
NaTuReB0Y Powered By 36DD 371 Rep 7,369 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Inland Empire iTrader: (12)	I heard it only has a price tag of $1,000,000 USD........ Who's #1 in line.........? __________________ 2006 E90 330i Jet Black \| 20" WORK VS-XX \| FK452 \| H&R Sport on Koni Yellow \| REMUS QUAD
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-26-2007, 12:45 AM	#10
SpecC Completely obsessed with detailing 305 Rep 15,441 Posts Drives: E90 SG 330i, white Scion tC Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Francisco and Davis iTrader: (4)	^that's kinda the price of a regular 7er anyway. i'd like to see how these things turn out
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-26-2007, 01:47 AM	#12
Fredric Private 0 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 328xiT Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NYC iTrader: (0)	Thank you Jonathan, very interesting. Couldn't quite make it out from the photo in front of the hotel, but appears someone put graffiti on the side of the car.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-26-2007, 11:41 AM	#14
DM1 Captain 98 Rep 698 Posts Drives: Mini Cooper S Paceman Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Monterrey, Mexico. iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 3.0si [7.00] 2006 325i [0.00] 2005 Renault Megane RS [0.00]	That's just great! Congratulations on doing that, and btw how do I get to do that? __________________ Follow my blog at http://dmauto.wordpress.com
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-26-2007, 02:01 PM	#15
bartman32 Colonel 108 Rep 2,317 Posts Drives: F87 M2 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The OC iTrader: (0) Garage List 2017 M2 [0.00]	Nice review Jonathan! Very interesting to see. I hope one day it does become a reality.
	Appreciate 0 Quote