Jay Leno To Drive Hydrogen Powered Car

Anthony Fontanelle
September 18, 2007

Automakers are coming up with more and more green vehicles. Toyota started it all with the hybrid Prius and other automakers are quick to follow. According to experts, while hybrid vehicles definitely have its advantages, it is not the ideal car for the future when it comes to the reduction of carbon footprint. The use of hydrogen as fuel is considered by many as the perfect solution to reduce the damage done by vehicles to the environment.

Honda came up with the FCX. The said vehicle runs on hydrogen and is now being tested in the United States by select fleet and individuals. Honda though is not the only automaker which has developed a vehicle that is fueled by hydrogen. German automaker BMW has also developed the Hydrogen 7 - a hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. Several units of this vehicle are already being tested in the country. The German automaker gave keys of the Hydrogen 7 to several celebrities including Will Ferrell. The newest celebrity to be given a key to the Hydrogen 7 is The Tonight Show host Jay Leno.

The comedian has been known to be an automotive enthusiast who knows how to work on cars. Giving him a key to the Hydrogen 7 will give BMW a boost if the comedian/auto enthusiast came up with favorable review of the hydrogen powered car.

"As an avid car enthusiast I'm always interested in the future of automotive technology," says Leno. "With the BMW Hydrogen 7 I can experience all the fun and great features of a performance car, yet know that I'm being environmentally friendly at the same time! I look forward to driving the Hydrogen 7 and learning more about hydrogen as a fuel for our future."

Leno owns a garage which can be considered a green one. That is because the celebrity uses a giant steam engine to provide energy for the consumption of his garage. He said that just because his garage is full of old cars, it cannot be an eco-friendly one. Although he owns vehicles which have been designed decades ago when the threat of global warming was unheard of, Leno uses technologies which can offset the emissions of such classic cars.

The BMW Hydrogen 7, contrary to what others think, is not a concept car like the Chevy Volt, Opel Flextreme, or the Volvo ReCharge. It is a production model and has undergone through the entire Production Development Process. Although it is a production model, the car is not yet for sale. Even with that fact, the development of a production version of a car that produces water vapor as its only emission is a milestone in the current drive to come up with solutions geared towards reducing the threat of global warming.

As far as reliability of the Hydrogen 7 is concerned, it is said to be as reliable as an Isuzu Trooper radiator. With BMW's expertise in engineering and resources, the Hydrogen 7 is not surprisingly a clean car with the performance to boot. And since it is a luxury car, it is filled with technological amenities that one can usually find in any BMW car.

Source:  Amazines.com