WOODCLIFF,
N.J.-- BMW today announced that Jay Leno became the latest person to
receive keys to a BMW Hydrogen 7 -- the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan.
The Emmy-winning comedian and host of The Tonight Show received his BMW
Hydrogen 7 at his famed car garage in Burbank, California, which is fittingly
a "green garage" that receives a great deal of its energy from steam power.
"As an avid car enthusiast I'm always
interested in the future of automotive technology. 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."
In his "green garage," Jay uses giant
steam and natural gas engines from the 19th century to effectively reduce
his energy needs -- transforming his garage into a self-sufficient power
station. According to Jay, there is no reason why a garage full of old
cars can't be environmentally responsible, even if it means having to go
back more than a century for the technology. Working with expert consultants
in a variety of fields to analyze his garage's energy use and devise alternative
energy systems, Jay is committed to upgrading his nearly 20,000-sq.-ft.
garage with the latest environmentally friendly shop equipment and products
-- and driving the BMW Hydrogen 7 is his laatest example of this.
Running in hydrogen mode, the BMW
Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapor, representing a major
step in reducing harmful CO2 emissions. It is not a concept car, but a
production model vehicle that has successfully completed the entire Product
Development Process. While the BMW Hydrogen 7 is not for sale, it is considered
to be a milestone in bringing forward hydrogen as the sustainable fuel
for individual transportation.
BMW believes that hydrogen will replace
petroleum as the long-term alternative to fossil fuel, and hopes the Hydrogen
7 will play a pioneering role in driving forward the hydrogen technologies
that will ensure our mobility in the future. Through a program dubbed the
Hydrogen 7 Pioneers Program, BMW is giving industry leaders and prominent
figures in entertainment, politics, business and more a BMW Hydrogen 7
for their daily use.
The hydrogen pioneers will be instrumental
in helping people understand that hydrogen technology is here, it is now
and it is what BMW Group believe holds the key to our future mobility.
By harnessing the power and influence of individuals who, like Leno, are
at the forefront of their respective disciplines, BMW hopes to continue
to generate support of hydrogen-drive vehicles in the short term and stimulate
demand for a viable hydrogen infrastructure in the long-term.
Leno is one of the first Americans
who BMW plans to announce in the coming months that will help the company
in its mission to build widespread support of hydrogen as a viable alternative
to fossil fuels.
While Leno and BMW's hydrogen pioneers
will be the first group to be given access to the BMW Hydrogen 7 in the
U.S. for a longer period of use, a number of entertainers, politicians,
business leaders and more have opted for a BMW Hydrogen 7 as their energy-efficient
ride of choice. Those who have recently chosen the vehicle include Brad
Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the "Ocean's 13" premiere in Hollywood; Fox
Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori at the FOX All-Star Party in Santa
Monica; Richard Gere and Sharon Stone at the Cinema for Peace Gala in Berlin;
and "An Inconvenient Truth" producer Davis Guggenheim (Oscar(R) for the
best Documentary Feature) and Best Foreign Language Film Oscar(R) winner,
director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck at the 2007 Academy Awards; among
others. The vehicle has also made an impact oversees, with luminaries such
as Michael Glos, German Federal Minister for Economy and Technology, and
Gunter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission, world renowned
soprano Anna Netrebko and many others covering more than 1.3 million miles
worldwide till now.
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