Hydrogen 7: Fit for Royalty, Impractical for Hoi Polloi

By Nick Kurczewski, Contributor

MONTE CARLO, Monaco --The BMW Hydrogen 7 sedan is loaded with luxury touches and powered by a state-of-the-art emissions-free engine.  Unfortunately, it also requires its own tanker truck when it comes time for a fill-up.  

But Prince Albert II of Monaco didn’t seem overly concerned about trivial matters like finding the closest hydrogen fueling station – there isn't one, hence the tanker -- when BMW handed him the keys to a Hydrogen 7-Series at this week’s EVER Monaco ecological car show.

Focus on the Positive

His Serene Highness  joins an elite list of roughly 100 celebrities and VIPs who have been loaned one of BMW’s Hydrogen-burning luxo-sedans.

Consider it a real-world trial run courtesy of a surreal clientele. The average loan extends anywhere from between six to eight weeks. And a BMW spokesman at the exhibition confirmed that Prince Albert’s loan would of the Hydrogen 7 would be for two months. 

Cameras flashed, security guards pushed, and BMW representatives scurried around frantically as the prince received an overview of his new ride. Our guess is that the introduction focused on more exciting and clever aspects of the car, like its smooth and powerful V-12 engine. 

With the press of a button mounted on the steering wheel, the motor seamlessly switches to liquid hydrogen from normal gasoline. In hydrogen mode, the car’s only emissions are a puff of warm air and water vapor – perfect for steaming stubborn wrinkles out of a sport-coat before that next champagne social. 

Less sexy than the high-tech motor – but no less important – are the Hydrogen 7’s unique safety features. Small lights located on top of door lock buttons are linked to hydrogen-detecting sensors. In the event that any (colorless and odorless) hydrogen gas seeps into the cabin, these sensors illuminate to warn the occupants.

Polished, But Not Perfect

We went for a chauffeured tour of Monaco, to see what the Prince can expect from his new car. Unfortunately, as clean and clever as the Hydrogen 7 might be, the luxury-laden green-machine is far from perfect.

From inside, everything is quiet, comfortable, and the BMW cocoons its occupants like a proper Teutonic luxury sedan.  But the fancy engine has a voracious appetite for fuel, be it gasoline or hydrogen. 

Increased curb-weight, due to the Hydrogen 7’s extra fuel tanks and other hardware, means that the big sedan burns one gallon of gas for every 17 miles traveled.

Switch into hydrogen mode, and fuel "economy" plummets to about 5 miles per gallon. That’s bad enough to make Hummer H2 owners wince.

No Easy Way

There is also the not-so-simple problem of  the absence of a hydrogen refueling infrastructure in most of the world,  including Monaco and neighboring France. The chance of hydrogen fuel stations becoming commonplace is a decade or more into the future – if it ever happens.

Prince Albert will be given the loan of what BMW refers to as a “mobile refueling station.” 

This entails a tanker truck equipped with a hose tipped with a very fancy nozzle and an intimidating computer screen that tells you when the tank is full. Being in the home of famous Monaco Grand Prix, we couldn’t resist simulating a hydrogen pit-stop. His highness better have strong forearms (or strong assistants), as the hose and nozzle assembly is awfully heavy.

For the moment, the BMW Hydrogen 7 is both an excellent marketing tool and one very flawed automobile. It is too big, too heavy, too expensive, too thirsty and way too impractical for us mere mortals;  but it  represents a (star-studded) step on the path towards creating a hydrogen-powered future.  

Posted by

John O'Dell March 28, 2008, 11:37 AM

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Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, BMW, Hydrogen