Tests show BMW's hydrogen car cleans the air | Car Tech: An automotive blog from CNET - CNET Reviews

Tests show BMW's hydrogen car cleans the air
Posted by Wayne Cunningham

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.

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"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark

Can't have it on the market.
Hydrogen is very explosive.
Hydrogen is needed to grow food crops.
Hydrogen is made from natural gas, a non renewable fuel.

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The USA is a Banana Republic

Cool about the air cleaning properties heckler.

But they have not convinced me yet they have the hydrogen under control.

Wow is right it is very explosive.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.

There are several ways to get Hydrogen:

The Hydrogen Economy

Sunlight to Fuel Hydrogen Future

YouTube - US Department of Agriculture - Hydrogen From Algae

__________________
"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark

Yeah, the air cleaning properties they talk about is why I posted this.

It's already in use in California. Petroleum products can be explosive as well.
Granted, not to the same degree.....But when we already have people dying for oil....seems to me possible explosions over gauranteed deaths is a good trade off!

I really like the "silver buckshot" approach. I think that will be the winner in the long run....

__________________
"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark

That's very cool, but I heard that hydrogen is very unstable.

Still, I could see hydrogen cars in the nearer future.

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Life is too short for endless patience.

-rice "hussein" chickie

Yep, it explodes easy.

YouTube - Hindenburg Explosion

__________________
"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark

You are a very sarcastic and droll person.

Please don't change!!!

All right. Make fun of me.

Actually, Mythbusters had an episode about whether it was really hydrogen "exploding" or whether the skin was highly flammable.

I believe they concluded that it wasn't an "explosion" but a rapid burn.

I'll have to check again.

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Life is too short for endless patience.

-rice "hussein" chickie

Nope, busted

MythBusters Episode 70: "Hindenburg Mystery"