DRIVING THE FUTURE:
BMW launches its hydrogen-powered, "Clean Energy" cars in USA

"Water is the coal of the future. The energy of tomorrow is water broken down into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. These elements will secure the earth's power supply for an indefinite period."
Jules Verne -- 1874

By Vince Bodiford

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Paramount Studios in Hollywood is a dream factory, a mecca of creativity and larger-than-life icons. It was at this setting that BMW rolled out its own dream, produced at BMW's skunk works in Munich - the world's first series of hydrogen-fueled cars. Take a deep breath, folks, you may be glimpsing into the future of motorcars.

And if BMW has its way, the breaths you draw in the future will be of clean air - not filled with toxins and emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles. Hydrogen-fueled cars have but one element exhausted from the tailpipe - pure water.

The fuel of the future is hydrogen. In a completely closed circle, it is extracted from water, and in combustion becomes water once again. BMW - and most carmakers - regard the hydrogen-powered engine as the most important development in personal transportation since the invention of the motorcar itself.

Quite simply, BMW installed its long developed hydrogen technology into a standard series full-sized 740i luxury sedan. The V-12 internal combustion engine burns the fuel. A fuel cell - the high-techest gizmo in this car, makes power all the time. This allows all of the vehicle accessories to be operated - including air conditioning, without running the motor. The goal is a zero-emission car.

Zero-emission cars are the mandate of California's Air Resource Board and the California Environmental Protection Agency. In reality, zero-emissions are not possible; since some emissions are created by tire wear, oil wear, and the like. However, zero tailpipe emissions are a great place to start, which is where the Clean Energy BMW cars shine.

One major obstacle is the fuel itself. You cannot today drive into a filling station and expect to find Hydrogen. Even if you could, the fuel is itself very polluting to make and very expensive, since most Hydrogen today is made from natural gas.

But Hydrogen can become the worlds cheapest and cleanest fuel - if the fuel is synthesized from seawater using electrolysis. A great deal of electricity is required, but in the future, solar energy and nuclear power could be used to produce clean electricity to make clean Hydrogen.

The idea of running a car on water is not far short of the ancient dream of the alchemists hoping to turn lead into gold. Achieving the former has never been more closely within our reach. In principal, the hydrogen engine is nothing more than a machine that uses water as fuel.

Safety is among the first questions on everyone's mind when discussing hydrogen as a fuel (remember the Hindenburg?). In principal, today hydrogen is no more dangerous as a motor fuel than petrol, but it does need to be handled differently.

When can you expect the roadways to be populated with hydrogen-powered cars? In reality, it is out in the future, maybe 20 years. The infrastructure needs to be built, but like the great railroad and highway expansion of the 20th century, it will happen. British Petroleum (BP) is working with BMW to begin that process.

The further the success, more car companies need to get focused on a common, uniform platform, much like they did in the early days of the automobile with the development of the gasoline engine, which overtook electric and steam powered cars of the day.

We were impressed with the seamless transition that BMW has made with this technology, and how it has been integrated into a very familiar car. It is very "car like" and not a radical, goofy departure from the norm. We think that fact is at the center of its success and acceptance, and a key reason why we think the BMW approach may work.

Los Angeles was specifically selected as the fifth and final stop the international Clean Energy world tour - it is the larges metropolis in California, which is so committed to battling air pollution. To this purpose, several of the 12-cylinder hydrogen powered BMW 740hL models will remain permanently stationed in the BMW emissions test center in Oxnard, Ca. for extensive testing and demonstrations.

"We want to achieve even more on this Clean Energy world tour. We want to campaign for hydrogen and gain new strategic partnerships for the broad-scale introduction of hydrogen - specifically outside of the automobile industry," says Dr. Burkhard Goeschel, member of the BMW Group board of directors in Germany.

And in L.A., a great way to attract attention is in Hollywood, where BMW welcomed a star-studded gala hosted by car aficionado Jay Leno and other movie stars, celebrities, politicians and captains of industry. Other stops on the Clean Energy world tour included Berlin, Dubai, Brussels, Milan and Tokyo.

For more information about the BMW technology, hydrogen fuel and green car information, visit these websites; www.greencars.com, www.bmwgroup.com/innovation and www.bmwgroup.com/scienceclub

ENJOY THE DRIVE. Remember, always buckle up, never drive impaired, and obey all traffic laws. Copyright (c) 2001 The Weekend Drive, all rights reserved.