Exiting the tight city streets, we hit the autobahn—time to stretch the Hydrogen 7’s legs and nail the accelerator.  From a ‘purr’, the engine opens to a resounding ‘whoosh’, not exactly the kind of aural feast you’d expect from a V12.  Nonetheless, acceleration feels like the Starship Enterprise in warp speed until you reach about 215 km/h.  At those speeds, the additional weight of the Hydrogen 7 (around 200 kilos) makes itself evident.  Switching to petrol mode via the steering wheel switch will deliver some additional grunt, but nothing to really set it apart from the primary hydrogen mode.  During cornering, the Hydrogen 7 feels planted and secure, probably because of the additional weight placed on the rear axle.  The additional supports on the door frames and pillars, made of carbon fiber composites, help too.  As expected from a flagship BMW, the Hydrogen 7 comes with all the safety systems known to man including standard issue run-flat tires in either 18- or 19-inches.

After we’ve had enough fun gallivanting around the German countryside and rocketing through the autobahn, we had to do our duty and head off to a TOTAL station near Berlin to top up the hydrogen fuel we’ve consumed.  Like the driving experience, refueling the Hydrogen 7 is completely fuss-free.  Push the hydrogen tank release button near the steering wheel to open the cap and fill it up.  At first, the hydrogen fuel hose looks imposing since it looks similar to what we see in Formula One (complete with one-touch latches), but once it locks onto car, it’s straight forward.  The system seen at the TOTAL station is the world standard adapted for liquid hydrogen stations, so there’s no worries loading up elsewhere.  Now, since hydrogen is a lot more combustible than petrol, several safety checks happen, albeit transparently.  Overall, the process take about 8 minutes, with half the time dedicated to sensor checks and re-checks.

When the Hydrogen 7 was filled up, we headed straight back into Berlin’s roads just in time for rush hour traffic.  As we hit red lights, it’s noticeable that people keep on doing double takes on the car.  Undoubtedly, they’ve seen countless 7 Series before, but they just can’t believe they’re actually seeing a real, hydrogen-powered production car.  One young man on his bicycle actually flashed a thumbs up, an indication that our pollution-free, atmosphere-friendly mode of transport is agreeable.  You’re probably asking, if the young man wanted to purchase the Hydrogen 7, how much will that cost?

The answer is: you can’t buy one.  Even if the BMW Hydrogen 7 is a production series car, BMW said that only 100 units will be made and all of them are on a two-year basis to individuals invited to participate in BMW’s CleanEnergy initiative.  We’ve tried our best to coax out potential clients, but BMW didn’t want to name specifics.  They did say the 100 lucky individuals will come from the areas of politics, the academe, celebrities and media personalities.  The choice of leasers depends greatly on the availability of hydrogen refueling stations in their respective areas (which scratches the Philippines out).  During the lease term, the lucky 100 will receive specialty trained service personnel to handle the hydrogen system as well as a direct computer link with BMW’s headquarters for quick diagnosis.

So now the question beckons: if only 100 will get the chance to lease a Hydrogen 7, what does it mean for the rest of us 9 billion earthlings?  Simply put, the 100 individuals, like BMW itself, will spearhead the campaign for alternative fuel awareness and hope that legislators and consumers alike will embrace a cleaner future.  Personally, I think the Hydrogen 7 is a testament that we don’t have to look like George Jetson to drive the future.  We can look good and drive well while saving the earth.

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