Does The BMW Hydrogen 7 Make Sense To You?
All we have been hearing for years is how we need to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil. With the price of gas going out of site and the terrible emissions from car engines, it’s no wonder that BMW has taken the lead to create a better vehicle. The time is right for change in the automotive world.
What do you think about this?
First of all let me tell you that as of April 2008 there is no such thing as a production car from BMW or anyone else that runs on hydrogen. But the research being done by BMW is absolutely fascinating. The experimental model is the 2007 BMW Hydrogen 7. It’s really a 7 Series Sedan converted to run on liquid hydrogen. And like all experiments, this car is only for the purpose of learning how to make a hydrogen car work safely and economically.
According to a BMW company spokesman, “A BMW that is not a BMW anymore is not acceptable to us”. The fact is, BMW is putting their reputation and money on the line to adapt their existing 6.0 liter V12 to burn liquid hydrogen. When BMW works out a few sticky technical problems, hydrogen promises to revolutionize transportation as we humans know it.
The first problem with hydrogen is that it currently has to be produced from a source such as natural gas. To do this requires huge amounts of electricity usually being generated by burning coal. Not only is this expensive, but it is also bad for the environment. It’s like setting fire to your house in mid-January just so that you can keep warm for awhile. That doesn’t make much sense either, does it?
So don’t expect to see a production model BMW Hydrogen 7 anytime soon.
The second problem with a hydrogen car at this point is something most drivers will not tolerate. And that is, 30 gallons of liquid hydrogen will only get you about 125 miles. That’s why the BMW Hydrogen 7 is a dual-fuel vehicle. It can go another 310 miles on the 19.5 gallons of gasoline. Even though hydrogen may be the fuel of the future, finding a “hydrogen filling station” today is difficult to say the least. It’s just not going to happen soon.
The upside of driving a BMW Hydrogen 7 car is the positive effect on the environment. As you probably know, as you are motoring down the highway the exhaust is mostly good old fashion water.
But there is more to the exhaust than just water.
What you don’t know is that there will be small amounts of crankcase oil still emitted as it gets burned in the combustion chambers. This is the same with all internal combustion engines. There is also a small amount of nitric acid that is formed during combustion. Without getting too technical my friend, the nitric acid can be removed by a simple three-way catalyst.
Now, for all of you out there who either didn’t take chemistry in high school or college or who were sleeping in class when you should have been paying attention, I’ll make this easy for you. What comes out of the back end of the BMW Hydrogen 7 is “pretty darn clean”. It’s mostly just water.
Whew. That was easy. I told you it was going to be simple.
So, fellow traveler, our great adventure to create the car of the future has begun in the form of the BMW Hydrogen 7. There are many challenges to be overcome before you will see one of these cuties in your garage. But when it does make its grand entrance, I’ll be one of the first in line. The BMW Hydrogen 7 makes sense to me.
Does it make sense to you?
Chet Waters is the BMW Specialist. Learn How To Find Your BMW And At The Price You Can Afford. Go To:
http://www.bmwsauctions.com
About the Author:
Chet Waters is the BMW Specialist. His passion for everything BMW is what he likes to share with others
All we have been hearing for years is how we need to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil. With the price of gas going out of site and the terrible emissions from car engines, it’s no wonder that BMW has taken the lead to create a better vehicle. The time is right for change in the automotive world.
What do you think about this?
First of all let me tell you that as of April 2008 there is no such thing as a production car from BMW or anyone else that runs on hydrogen. But the research being done by BMW is absolutely fascinating. The experimental model is the 2007 BMW Hydrogen 7. It’s really a 7 Series Sedan converted to run on liquid hydrogen. And like all experiments, this car is only for the purpose of learning how to make a hydrogen car work safely and economically.
According to a BMW company spokesman, “A BMW that is not a BMW anymore is not acceptable to us”. The fact is, BMW is putting their reputation and money on the line to adapt their existing 6.0 liter V12 to burn liquid hydrogen. When BMW works out a few sticky technical problems, hydrogen promises to revolutionize transportation as we humans know it.
The first problem with hydrogen is that it currently has to be produced from a source such as natural gas. To do this requires huge amounts of electricity usually being generated by burning coal. Not only is this expensive, but it is also bad for the environment. It’s like setting fire to your house in mid-January just so that you can keep warm for awhile. That doesn’t make much sense either, does it?
So don’t expect to see a production model BMW Hydrogen 7 anytime soon.
The second problem with a hydrogen car at this point is something most drivers will not tolerate. And that is, 30 gallons of liquid hydrogen will only get you about 125 miles. That’s why the BMW Hydrogen 7 is a dual-fuel vehicle. It can go another 310 miles on the 19.5 gallons of gasoline. Even though hydrogen may be the fuel of the future, finding a “hydrogen filling station” today is difficult to say the least. It’s just not going to happen soon.
The upside of driving a BMW Hydrogen 7 car is the positive effect on the environment. As you probably know, as you are motoring down the highway the exhaust is mostly good old fashion water.
But there is more to the exhaust than just water.
What you don’t know is that there will be small amounts of crankcase oil still emitted as it gets burned in the combustion chambers. This is the same with all internal combustion engines. There is also a small amount of nitric acid that is formed during combustion. Without getting too technical my friend, the nitric acid can be removed by a simple three-way catalyst.
Now, for all of you out there who either didn’t take chemistry in high school or college or who were sleeping in class when you should have been paying attention, I’ll make this easy for you. What comes out of the back end of the BMW Hydrogen 7 is “pretty darn clean”. It’s mostly just water.
Whew. That was easy. I told you it was going to be simple.
So, fellow traveler, our great adventure to create the car of the future has begun in the form of the BMW Hydrogen 7. There are many challenges to be overcome before you will see one of these cuties in your garage. But when it does make its grand entrance, I’ll be one of the first in line. The BMW Hydrogen 7 makes sense to me.
Does it make sense to you?
Chet Waters is the BMW Specialist. Learn How To Find Your BMW And At The Price You Can Afford. Go To:
http://www.bmwsauctions.com
About the Author:
Chet Waters is the BMW Specialist. His passion for everything BMW is what he likes to share with others
