Sustainability Expert, Builder and Entrepreneur John Picard was handed the keys to one-of-25 BMW Hydrogen 7s on the U.S. roads as BMW today announced that he is the latest person to evaluate the technology of the world’s first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 melds the polished luxury of BMW’s largest sedan with the virtually emission-free power of a hydrogen combustion engine.
The BMW Pioneer Program gives industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics and business a BMW Hydrogen 7 for their daily use as proof that hydrogen powered vehicles could someday be viable for everyday driving. Picard joins Will Ferrell, Jay Leno, Ed Norton, Cameron Diaz, and Jason Bateman, among others, who have opted for a BMW Hydrogen 7 as their energy-efficient ride of choice.
“I love cars and I love the BMW Hydrogen 7. I have owned many cars, raced them, built them, and converted performance cars to natural fuels so I have a HUGE respect for what it took for the BMW Group to design and engineer this vehicle. BMW has kept the integrity, performance, and luxury of the 7 Series in tact while giving the driver an awesome sense of being responsible in the world. Hydrogen is the ultimate molecule and I commend BMW for creating a vehicle that breaks through the institutional barriers in the transportation space. The Hydrogen 7 can create and inspire the kind of sustainability we need on the planet.”
Picard’s commitment to sustainability has helped him to become one of the most sought-after experts in his field. He was one of the first members of President Bill Clinton’s Greening of the White House team that developed environmental energy audits and innovative upgrade recommendations for the White House. In 1995, John received international attention when he built his own home completely “off the grid” to operate independent of all traditional paid utility services. Picard is currently serving as Sustainability Expert for Planet Green’s major programming initiative that tells the real story of a town in Kansas that is re-building green after a tornado. GREENSBURG, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Craig Piligian is a 13 - episode series that will air on Planet Green - the newest member of the Discovery Network Family - in May.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 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. Running in hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapor, representing a major step in reducing harmful CO2 emissions.
BMW coined the term “EfficientDynamics” to define a combination of short-term, mid-term and long-term measures for the continued reduction of fuel consumption and emissions while at the same time enhancing the performance and driving characteristics that are at the core of BMW. While BMW believes that hydrogen will replace petroleum as the long-term alternative to fossil fuel, it has worked consistently to optimize the efficiency of its gasoline engines. Further, BMW looks to its Advanced Diesel technology as another nearer-term solution and will introduce its first hybrid vehicle by 2009.
Previously announced members of the BMW Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program include Will Ferrell, Jay Leno, opera star Placido Domingo, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Sharon Stone, Oscar® Award-winning producer Davis Guggenheim (”An Inconvenient Truth”), and famed director Steve Gaghan, among others. The vehicle has also made an impact oversees, with luminaries such as Michael Glos, German Federal Minister for Economy and Technology, and Günter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission, and many others.
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