Monday, March 31, 2008

H7 Emits Roses and Pancakes

BMW Hydrogen 7 Emissions Well-below Super-ultra Low-emissions Vehicle Standards, Government Says - Science Daily

I've long heard about BMW's mythical hydrogen-powered car. Initially, I read about a dual-engine version of the 7-series that could switch from hydrogen to gasoline on the fly, but that model was strictly for Europe. I could see such a luxury car working well here in the States, specifically California where hydrogen stations are slowly being built. The dual-engine model was meant as a compromise due to the lack of hydrogen stations. And the dual-engine is a bit misleading as the car actually has one engine but runs on either hydrogen or straight petrol. So the idea of a mono-engine is a little confusing.
Despite all that, it's heart-warming to find that not only will BMW put the car into production, albeit a limited run, but that in some cases its emissions are actually cleaner than the air that enters the engine. Through my initial travels in the arena of car modification I've learned about the importance of air intakes and how clearer air works to the advantage of the engine so I'm wondering if BMW will rig a system to reuse the air emitted from the car and inject it back into the engine. It's an amazing advance in engine technology that unfortunately is limited to a few high profile people to show off the car and the tech. What's more, it makes me wonder when other companies will try their hand at hydrogen engines (I'm looking at you Audi/VW).

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