BMW bets on hydrogen

[Auggie]

S.F. Chronicle, March-1-2008:

The German car manufacturer BMW told TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference attendees in Monterey, CA Thursday that the company is betting the store on hydrogen.

"Water is the coal of the future," read a big sign in the middle of the room. It was a reference to the process of extracting the H from H2O, and then using it to power the same internal combustion engines we use today.

Turns out BMW started its hydrogen program back in 1978, and as such, has a ton of research on the topic. For example, BMW says:

-- Technology will allow us to mass-produce hydrogen without burning fossil fuels to do so, in the next 10 to 15 years.

-- The cost of putting a hydrogen gas station on every 40 to 50 miles of U.S. roadways would cost $400 billion to $500 billion.

-- We will see the beginnings of hydrogen infrastructure, e.g., gas stations, by 2025.

-- We will switch over totally between the years 2040 and 2050.

With those time frames being pretty far out, it should be noted that BMW is developing hybrid models in the meantime. The first is expected out in 2009. But, in the long run, the Bavarians are betting their euros on hydrogen.

Complete story: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/01/BUFOVB1KA.DTL

[phantom power]

1. "Water is the coal of the future?"

Please shoot me.
:banghead:

[Auggie]

2. I think the reference is to coal's abundance and relatively inexpensive price

[phantom power]

3. I guess, if you ignore the bit about having to split the water into H2 and O2.

Kind of like somebody predicting that wine would be available and inexpensive because hey, dirt is so cheap and ubiquitous!

[eppur_se_muova]

8. It's only PR, it doesn't have to make sense.

Making sense takes too much time and effort.

[speedbird]

4. nothing new about, propane, natural gas, as fuel .n/t

[jeanruss]

5. The Hydrogen Age

At www.twilightclub.org you can read the scientific papers of Walter Russell, a 20th century American genius. He showed Norad his Hydrogen engine in the 1930's but they ignored him because of oil interests.

[Terry in Austin]

6. A sucker bet

...everybody knows that by 2050 we'll have that pipeline from Titan to run our internal-combustion aircars.

[NickB79]

7. The beginnings of the hydrogen infrastructure by 2025?

And full switch-over by 2050?

I wonder if they'll add a waterproof cabin so I can drive one around the flooded ruins of coastal cities after the ice caps melt away.

Too little, too late, BMW.