BMW Hydrogen 7s Providing Shuttle Service at Poznań; Pair of MINI Es Showcased
11 December 2008
Twenty-one BMW Hydrogen 7 hydrogen-fueled cars are providing the official shuttle service at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań. The BMW Group is also presenting a pair of electrically-driven MINI E cars at the event for test drives. (Earlier post.)
BMW so far has 100 Hydrogen 7s on the road, which together have racked up more than 2 million miles worldwide since launch in 2006. (Earlier post.) The Hydrogen 7 is a dual-fuel car, running either on gasoline or on hydrogen.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 shuttles in Poznan run on climate-neutral hydrogen. If hydrogen is produced out of renewable energy through electrolysis, CO2 emissions can be cut by up to 90% further up the supply chain. The key for both hydrogen power and electromobility lies not only in the ability of the vehicles to run CO2-free but also in the development of supply chains and infrastructure to provide them with clean hydrogen and electricity, BMW notes. This represents both a political and an economic challenge.
The BMW Group said it is seeking discussions on open questions related to hydrogen and electromobility at both the climate summit in Poznan and in regular stakeholder dialogue.
After driving for 3 hours, you need a rest, pee break and lunch ... for most people that is about an hour.
so ... an E-car only needs to run 3 1/2 hours (300 km+) and recharge in an hour.
@ 240v x 100a 3ph a 100 kWh battery pack will recharge in an hour or at the most, 1 1/2 hours.
Most people can live with this most of the time.
Posted by: John Taylor | 11 December 2008 at 07:26 AM
I drove for 3 1/2 hours once about 2 years ago. Since then, the longest time I have been on the road was 1 1/4 hours last week in a snowstorm. I would settle for 100 km capability, if the price is right. I can rent a car next time I go on a long driving vacation -- which may be never.
Posted by: JMartin | 11 December 2008 at 08:07 AM
In one 10 year period I did a lot of driving:
I've done 4 round trips, each about 1100 miles one way. Electric car would be useless without a genset.
I have also done at least 50 round trips 160 miles each way.
So an electric car is only useful for people who are settled down and don't want to take any vacation trips by car.
Unless a good add-on genset is available. We really need something very light like the OPOC etc.
Posted by: GdB | 11 December 2008 at 08:50 AM
What an irony - hydrogen cars and hydrogen fuss in reality is not in favor but against greenhouse gas reduction. It is obvious even for children... To produce hydrogen you have to burn some sort of fuel and then transform it in very expensive way into hydrogen. Afterwards automobile will use hydrogen and produce Electric Power to Run Electric Motor. That is real stupidity.
Posted by: Darius | 11 December 2008 at 09:19 AM
An electric car with remove CNG generator and fuel tank would be ideal, both could be removed when commuting all electric ~50 miles. Then for longer jouneys the two could be added possibly as part of additional storage capacity. When not being used in the car, the small engine could run of domestic natural gas and work as a CHP unit selling electricity to the grid at peak times and heating your house / water for the evening.
Posted by: | 12 December 2008 at 02:06 PM
There would appear some merit and hope in the onboard reforming F.C's being developed when that allows the hydrogen to be much more convenientlly carried in a hydrcarbon fuel and the carbon collected at seperation for sequestration.
Conentrated carbon waste stream may find market applications especially if it is incorperated in a stable form. Maybe a diamond or two every x klm?
This could help solve those two very thorny subjects.
With these evolving sytems using little or no unobtainium materials, I could begin to imagine a fuel cell vehicle inustry.
I can see that batteries would have a similar application to that used in other hybrid applications.
It will be interesting to see how that all unfolds.
Posted by: arnold | 12 December 2008 at 08:38 PM