Tests show BMW's hydrogen car cleans the air

Tests show minimal emissions from BMW's hydrogen car.

BMW showed off a hydrogen-powered 7-series sedan at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit that actually emits less carbon monoxide than are found in the air around it. This means the engine breaks down or converts the carbon monoxide it takes in. The emissions tests, run by Argonne Laboratories, also show a similar reduction in nonmethane organic gases. The vehicle's other emissions are all so low that standard automobile emissions testing wouldn't have detected them.

This particular demonstration vehicle uses a 6-liter combustion engine that uses hydrogen as fuel, burning it in the cylinders and, according to BMW, delivering performance on par with a standard gas-powered 7-series. Most hydrogen cars from other automakers use fuel cells to generate electricity. Currently, BMW has been handing its Hydrogen 7 sedan, a car with a dual-fuel hydrogen and gas system, over to various celebrities and decision influencers, such as J.D. Power III. But the new demonstration vehicle only uses hydrogen for fuel. BMW doesn't consider the car a prototype, and won't be building more on the same scale as the Hydrogen 7.

BMW's Hydrogen 7 car runs on gas and hydrogen.

(Credit: BMW)

[gbalpha33]

This sounds like the real thing. Why aren't they marketing this auto?

[jpsalvesen]

Perhaps because hydrogen currently isn't feasible for widespread use. Remember, the energy that is used when creating hydrogen and O2 from water must come from a clean energy source for hydrogen to be environmentally friendly.

Or maybe it simply would be too expensive to produce.

[William Crow]

Breath the exhaust!

[rmburnside]

If you are going to evaluate the CO2, you have got to count the CO2 it takes to produce hydrogen. Currently hydrogen comes largely from natural gas, however on the scale of supplying our transportation infrastructure it would require electrolysis, meaning lots of electricity which largely comes from coal. By the way coal produces more CO2 per unit energy than oil.

So as soon as we build thousands of fueling stations and fancy trucks to distribute hydrogen, and many nuclear plants to power the hydrogen production plants, then maybe you will be able to fuel your BMW.

[nickull]

rmburnside is right. Hydrogen is a very, very bad idea for terrestrial power sources. It takes about 9-10 times as much energy to convert existing energy (ie - electricity) into hydrogen and store it as opposed to the energy you get back out. The petroleum companies are backing hydrogen since the primary source of hydrogen is to burn fossil fuels to make electricity then use the electricity to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.

The real issue is that hydrogen does not exist in a natural state in a pure form we can use. It is highly unstable and will bind with other atoms to form other molecules. The energy required to split it as a ratio of the energy hydrogen can carry is a lossy proposition. Even if current technologies were to get 10 times more efficient, it still would not make sense. Don't take my word for it - Google "the gurus lair + hydrogen" for more info on this.

[califalcon]

BS, hydrogen cars don't need hydrogen gas stations, hydrogen is the most common element in the world, and electrolosys is easy to do efficiently, there is people currently running their cars with a mix of gas and hydrogen and they get over 60MPG and thats with home build fuel cells which is amaturish at best, put a few millions into the developing a professional and efficient fuel cell that would change the world, it won't happen until oil runs out tho, too many rich people making money out of oil. Water converts easily into hydrogen, Reject hydrogen stations thats just another attempt to make money out of nothing like interest rates in the bankers make printing our money without gold.

[icemage06]

yeah, america's in not pursuing more nuclear power. If we could get off coal / fossil fuel power, most of our energy needs would be solved for a very long time, and the environment would be great.

another way would be this: http://engineuity.co.il/1342.html
This company has made something that uses metal such as aluminum or magnesium, mixed with water in the car that will produce steam and hydrogen to power a car. I don't know why it hasn't gotten more publicity. Although, if it was me I would probably use hydrochloric acid instead of water since that would be a much more exothermic reaction. But w/e, if their way works, i hope it gets more publicity.

[carwaterguide]

it's has review many sites like gasforfree,runyourcaronwater etc.

You can truly get better mileage...... http://carwaterguide.blogspot.com

[Harsens]

I just wondered how this BMW's Hydrogen powered vehicle compares to Honda's FCX Clarity. It appears that the BMW model just converted a gas engine to also accept liquid hydrogen. As I have read, the FCX Clarity converts hydrogen into electrical energy and that drives the vehicle ???

The research aircraft Antares DLR H2 is the world?s first bootable, airplane pilot with fuel cell propulsion. It is based substantially on the last few years built boat Antares 20E. In two additional external load containers will be the fuel cell system and the hydrogen tanks under the wings for increased appropriate. In further steps could the performance data of the plane with up to four external load containers and more advanced fuel cells still significantly increase..
http://www.hydrogen-motors.com

[derrickcm]

Yeah, I think this is real. There are a lot of people who seem to say this technology doesn't make sense, but it would seem to me these auto companies would have top notch scientists and engineers working there anyways, and the fact they already have released a version of this car ( <a href="http://www.hydrogencarinfo.com/bmwhydrogencar.html">BMW Hydrogen 7</a>) makes me believe they really are on to something here, even if it takes a while.