Automotive News - April 21, 2008 - (Page 14)

14 • APRIL 21, 2008 Driving on hydrogen — pros and cons BMW Hydrogen 7 emits less CO2 but has less power, too James Franey MUNICH — I’m sitting behind the wheel of a BMW, and I’m nervous. This is a car with a difference: It is powered by liquid hydrogen. Didn’t the Hindenburg airship run on hydrogen? Matthias Abend, international sales manager for BMW’s Hydrogen 7 models, does his best to calm my fears. He says the Hydrogen 7 has passed the same safety and crash tests that all BMWs must pass before going on sale. Actress Cameron Diaz drove the car to this year’s Oscars, and Prince Albert II of Monaco tested one in March. So if it was safe enough for them, I suppose it’s safe enough for me. But, Abend explains, the car does have its limitations. One of the major challenges is keeping the hydrogen at the correct temperature. Liquid hydrogen must be stored at minus 423.4 degrees Fahrenheit for safety. Let the hydrogen tank run empty, and it will heat up. That means it could take up to 40 minutes to refuel it. Oh, and don’t park the car in any enclosed space, just in case any hydrogen gas escapes. Hydrogen is highly flammable when mixed with oxygen. EDITORIAL STAFF 313-446-0361 E-mail autonews@crain.com Web site www.autonews.com Keith E. Crain Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Peter Brown Associate Publisher and Editorial Director DETROIT 313-446-0361 Fax: 313-446-0383 1155 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207-2997 David Sedgwick Editor dsedgwick@crain.com Edward Lapham Executive Editor elapham@crain.com Richard Johnson Managing Editor rjohnson@crain.com John K. Teahen Jr. Senior Editor Mary Beth Vander Schaaf Deputy Managing Editor Charles Child International Editor David Kushma Retail Editor Dave Guilford News Editor Philip Nussel Special Projects Editor James B. Treece Industry Editor Karen Faust O’Rourke Insight Editor COPY EDITORS: Bob Allen, Tom Fetters, Patricia C. Foley, Kenn Jones, Gregory Skwira Susan Zavela Bamford/Graphics Editor Rick Kranz/Product Editor REPORTERS: Leslie J. Allen, David Barkholz, Mary Connelly, Ralph Kisiel, Jamie LaReau, Arlena Sawyers, Robert Sherefkin, Richard Truett, Bradford Wernle, Amy Wilson Mary Raetz Director, Automotive News Data Center Debi Domby, Camille Pippen Research Assistants Dan Jones Office Manager Robertta Savage Editorial Assistant Corinne M. Price, Michael Garrison Information Center LOS ANGELES Mark Rechtin/Bureau Chief 310-739-8009 Fax: 310-832-6362 Kathy Jackson/Reporter 323-370-2481 Fax: 323-655-8157 6500 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048-4947 NEW YORK Diana T. Kurylko/Reporter Phone/fax: 908-273-6059 dkurylko@crain.com WASHINGTON Donna Harris/Reporter 540-668-7295 Fax: 540-668-7296 Harry Stoffer/Reporter 202-662-7212 Fax: 202-638-3155 814 National Press Building Washington, DC 20045-1801 MID-SOUTH Lindsay Chappell/Bureau Chief 615-371-6654 Fax: 615-371-6655 April Wortham/Reporter 615-371-6617 104 East Park Drive, Suite 315, Brentwood, TN 37027 TOKYO Hans Greimel/Asia Editor +81-3-3828-9060 Fax: +81-3-3828-9061 hgreimel@crain.com Yurakucho Denki Bldg., 20th Floor 1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan SHANGHAI Alysha Webb/Bureau Chief +86-21-6226-9485 Fax: +86-21-6226-9483 alyshawebb@yahoo.com TURIN Luca Ciferri/Reporter lciferri@craincom.de +39-011 961 0194 Fax: +39-011 961 0113 Viale Cavaglia, 8 10029 Villastellone (TO) Italy STAFF CORRESPONDENT: Eric Freedman/Legal file, 517-337-0269 www.autonews.com DETROIT Victor Galvan/Web Editor vgalvan@crain.com 313-446-0345 Scott Kennedy/Multimedia Editor 2 fuels The Hydrogen 7 is part of BMW’s EfficientDynamics strategy, which aims to show how vehicle emissions can be reduced without sacrificing performance. Because it has 2 fuel chambers, the car can run on hydrogen or gasoline. One tank holds 19.2 gallons of gasoline, and the other 8 kilograms of liquid hydrogen. The car works by pumping hydrogen into a combustion engine and igniting it. The Hydrogen 7 uses the same 6.0-liter V-12 engine as the 760Li, the top model in the 7 series. The Hydrogen 7’s engine is tuned down. It produces 260 hp; the equivalent gasoline model produces 438 hp. Automotive News Europe Reporter James Franey refuels the BMW Hydrogen 7. comment strument panel — although there are two fuel gauges, one for hydrogen mode and one for gasoline mode. A button on the steering wheel switches between them. Starting the car in hydrogen mode takes about five seconds and is accompanied by a rattling noise from under the hood. On a lap of the A9 autobahn that circles Munich, I find the acceleration sluggish when running on hydrogen, although BMW insists the car performs just as well on hydrogen as it does in gasoline mode. But it takes more than nine seconds to reach 62 mph, which is lethargic compared with the five seconds or so it takes a regular 7 series. The hydrogen tank and other additional components add an extra 528 pounds, which makes the car less nimble. Perhaps more to the point, the V-12 in the H7 has been tuned down to produce just 260 hp; the equivalent gasoline-only engine produces 438 hp. The H7 is noisier, too. A long way to go The sound of hydrogen combustion under the hood is barely audible at slower speeds. But nudge the car closer to its top speed of 133.3 mph, and the V-12 begins to roar and rattle, thanks to the port injection system that uses magnetic actuation. Hydrogen doesn’t provide much mileage for the money, either. Hydrogen costs about $12.60 for a kilogram and burns faster than gasoline. The H7 carries 8 kilograms of liquid hydrogen, which yields a range of just 124 miles. The 19.2-gallon gasoline tank adds a range of about 310 miles. BMW’s refueling station in Munich is 248 miles from the next one in Frankfurt, meaning that somewhere around Stuttgart, a switch to gasoline The same, but different From the outside, the H7 looks like an ordinary BMW 7-series sedan except for a slight bulge on the hood. A modified engine layout accommodates pipes running to the hydrogen tank in the back. Inside, the rear seats have been moved forward, and half the trunk space has been sacrificed to the tank. There are few differences on the in- must be made. The level of carbon dioxide emissions would then jump from 3.1 grams per mile on hydrogen to 206.2 grams per mile on gasoline. While the car produces low emissions, the glossy press brochure doesn’t tell you how hydrogen is produced. As Klaus Draeger, BMW board member for development, told me at the Geneva auto show, most hydrogen today is produced by burning natural gas, which generates CO2 emissions. Draeger admits that there is still a long way to go before hydrogen can be produced from renewable energy sources. “But,” he says, “if we don’t start this discussion now, we will never find a solution.” Find that solution, and BMW could well be on to something big. You may e-mail James Franey at jfraney@craincom.de. continued from Page 12 An editorial glass ceiling? To the Editor: I read Keith Crain’s column about the glass ceiling and turned to the staff box on the next page to see whether Automotive News has broken the glass ceiling (March 31). Out of the 20 or so people on the list with the word “editor” in their job titles, only four are women. ROBERT J. BOUCHER Stratford, Conn. The writer works for an indirect lender. BMW should build even more here To the Editor: Guido Reinking indicates that there is a financial weakness because of BMW’s production being in the United States (“In the United States, BMW is a victim of its own success,” April 7). If that were the case, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and others should be closing shop. BMW’s high costs might include too many overlapping models and the need to manufacture more of the vehicle here rather than less (like the engines Reinking mentioned). That could be less costly than production in Germany. As a matter of fact, it appears that export of U.S.-made German vehicles to Germany is quite economical. Volkswagen is late in coming to the party. Consideration for U.S. production has some valid reasons: no union issues, and a U.S.-made VW will cost less than one made in Germany. It has taken VW a long time to figure that out, if it is looking for volume sales. FRANK BOULTON President Moto America Inc. Marietta, Ga. The writer is an importer of British sports cars. Ford Motor Co.’s J Mays introduced the Transit Connect Taxi concept at the New York International Auto Show in March. Not what New York ordered To the Editor: Regarding the March 24 Final Assembly item “Ford hails its cab, but mpg is an issue”: What were they thinking? When a customer says he wants a 400-pound gorilla that eats only bananas, and you bring him a 400pound gorilla that eats potatoes, why would he buy it? No wonder Detroit is going down the tubes. Ford must wake up. It could have a huge impact on its image and the environment by supplying the best city in the world with the most gasoline-efficient taxi fleet in the world. STEPHEN DUDLEY Scientific American Burbank, Calif. http://www.autonews.com http://www.autonews.com http://www.autonews.com

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Automotive News - April 21, 2008 Reorganization plan gives more muscle to 4 sales-channel execs Hummer plummets, Saturn soars in sales per franchise Chrysler-Nissan: Loads of partnership potential LIFESTYLE PICKUPS Strike averted Friday at GM transmission plant Hyundai to phase out Tiburon Veteran lobbyist looks back on decades-long mpg battle Autonews.com offers news customization GM offers free digital marketing package to dealers Lithia extends vehicle repair warranty to 3 years/50,000 miles With new products, is there life in Saturn? Ford plans $100M-plus F-150 launch Ford broadens its diesel strategy GM pitches its management system to dealers Supplier to help Mahindra offer diesel hybrid Transplants top 40% of N.A. output in March Geely chief: 'We are still an ant' Honda could import cars from China GM redirects efforts to serve emerging markets Beijing showstoppers New Challenger is appetizer for full line in 2009 Last week, I got a glimpse of the future Service contracts: Federal oversight is needed Delphi mess drags on Can't we stop importing oil? Ryan revolutionized this business An editorial glass ceiling? Driving on hydrogen — pros and cons BMW should build even more here Not what New York ordered Magna exec: More suppliers will fail Canada sales off 0.4% in March Bosch pushes crash avoidance Chrysler plans hybrid Dodge Ram Honda engineer is honored by SAE for safety efforts Panel: Diesels may hit 20% of U.S. market by 2020 Automotive News PACE Awards: Night of black ties, trophies, praise PACE Awards honor innovation Truck sales drop 31% in March Honda's new Pilot is bigger, more upscale In China, GM looks to fresh vehicles in 2009 U.S. economic woes hurt shareholder values Judge refuses to toss GMC franchise-award case Dealers Farley: Ford's marketing team is ready to roll Landry: Chrysler's consolidation will spawn service-only stores Profits up at Johnson Controls Hyundai to fix airbag problem GM to build $200 million Brazil plant Convis is CEO of Dana Holding Denso names Katoh CEO Stephen Feinberg speaks! Hogan eyes CEO spot in startup Chrysler reviving its global dreams? How I saved Delphi: A work in progress Tesla Motors' lawsuit: Designer Fisker ripped us off Concert in the key of C-3PO

Automotive News - April 21, 2008

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