Irvine, CA --With BMW as a project collaborator, the country's newest hydrogen filling station officially opened today at the University of California, Irvine. Launched by Air Products (NYSE: APD), the station marks the latest milestone in establishing a solid hydrogen infrastructure in the United States -- a core goal of BMW's CleanEnergy strategy.

"BMW is proud to be a member of this project team, which is another milestone on the way to sustainable mobility and wide acceptance of alternative fuels", said Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of BMW of North America and Chairman of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. "We at BMW believe that hydrogen will replace petroleum in the long-term. To accomplish this we must begin to take steps now, in order to ensure a smooth transition to a hydrogen-based economy in the future. The technology at Air Products' newest fueling station is proof that this shift has begun, and BMW will continue to develop and support initiatives that help foster our CleanEnergy goals."

Last year, BMW underscored its commitment to hydrogen-drive technologies with the debut of the BMW Hydrogen 7-the world's first hydrogen-drive luxury performance automobile-to help stimulate demand for a viable hydrogen infrastructure in the long term. The car comes equipped with an internal combustion engine capable of running on either liquid hydrogen or gasoline. Since the start of research and development in alternative fuel sources, BMW has focused on liquid hydrogen as the appropriate source of energy for the automobile.

The new station is the first hydrogen fueling station in California and the United States with the ability to dispense hydrogen at varied and advanced pressures, and the first hydrogen fueling station to be sited at a location with wider accessibility for vehicle fueling demonstrations. The new fueling station will offer hydrogen in gas form from the onset and planning is underway for the addition of liquid hydrogen dispensing in late 2007 -the form of hydrogen used to power the BMW Hydrogen 7.

The new hydrogen fueling station at the University of California, Irvine was launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and California's South Coast Air Quality Management District, and is supported by BMW and other automobile manufacturers with hydrogen-powered vehicles.

BMW Group: "Sustainability. It can be done."
Sustainable action and corporate success belong together. With this clear commitment, the BMW Group has integrated sustainability as part of its corporate strategy. The BMW CleanEnergy strategy aims to create a sustainable future for individual mobility independent of fossil fuels. With BMW EfficientDynamics, the company enhances fuel economy with every new product while still offering the customer the best in class performance.

With recycling-optimized product design and life cycle assessment, BMW is helping to reduce the impact on the environment. The use of benchmark technologies in its clean production program significantly reduces the consumption of water and energy during the production process. There are many examples of the advantages of adhering to BMW's mantra, "Sustainability. It can be done." The benefits are enjoyed not only by the company and its associates, but also the environment and, most importantly, the customer.