BMW technology has come a long way. Now, together with politicians and the energy industry, we must turn our vision of sustained mobility into reality,” says Professor Burkhard Goschel, Board Member of the BMW Group.
The records were set at the high-speed Miramas Proving Grounds in France in September 2004.
With these records, the BMW Group has shown that hydrogen is able to replace conventional fuel without requiring the driver to make the slightest compromise in terms of dynamic performance.
The single-seater H2R Record Car uses a 6.0-litre 12 cylinder power unit producing in excess of 210 kW, that races to 100 km/h in just six seconds and has a top speed of 302.4 km/h.
The engine is based on the V12 unit powering BMW’s flagship limousine, the BMW 760Li.
The hydrogen combustion engine boasts the most advanced technologies such as BMW’s fully variable VALVETRONIC valve train control.
BMW will be launching a dual-mode version of the current 7 Series during the production cycle of the present model, thus introducing the first car of its kind able to run on both hydrogen and petrol.
BMW’s set these records to prove the power and performance of the hydrogen engine as well as the reliability and durability of the technology.
BMW’s motive in setting up these records was not only to prove the power and performance the hydrogen engine is able to offer, but also the reliability and durability of the technology used clearly demonstrates the supremacy of BMW in developing the hydrogen engine to production standard.
In this process BMW is concentrating on the combustion engine, simply because the combustion power unit, given the sum total of all its features and characteristics, still offers the largest number of advantages and benefits all in one.
BMW has developed the hydrogen engine to production standard because the combustion power unit, given the sum total of all its features and characteristics, still offers the largest number of advantages and benefits all in one.
The name “H2R” stands for “H two Race Car”, “Hydrogen Record Car” or “Hydrogen Research Car”
The H2R employs components carried over from a sophisticated, thoroughbred BMW sports car.
It features a monocoque aluminum spaceframe chassis and suspension with an aluminum body skeleton covered with carbon fiber reinforced plastic panels. Weighing in at 1560kg complete with full tanks and a driver at the wheel, the racer is extremely light and strong.
Hydrogen means top performance
BMW has proven what the hydrogen car is able to offer, setting up 9 records for hydrogen-drive cars with combustion engine.
“Nine records marking the start into the hydrogen age. BMW technology has already come a long way. Now, together with politicians and the energy industry, we must turn our vision of sustained mobility into reality”, stated Professor Burkhard Goschel, Board Member of the BMW Group, during the speed record trials in Miramas. Achieving this amazing success at the high-speed Miramas Proving Grounds in France, the BMW Group has clearly proven its conviction that hydrogen is able to replace conventional fuel without requiring the driver to make the slightest compromise in terms of dynamic, up-to-date performance.
Indeed, the specifications of the H2R Record Car clearly confirm this superiority, the six-liter 12 cylinder power unit developing an output of more than 210 kW or 285 bhp. This accelerates the BMW prototype to 100 km/h in approximately 6 seconds and gives it a top speed of 302.4 km/h (185.52 mph).
Based on the gasoline power unit featured in the BMW 760i, BMW’s hydrogen combustion engine boasts the most advanced technologies such as BMW’s fully variable VALVETRONIC valve drive.
The main modifications to the engine involve the fuel injection system adapted by BMW to the special features and requirements of hydrogen.
BMW’s future hydrogen engine for the world’s first premium saloon built for dual-mode operation: BMW will be launching a dual-mode version of the current 7 Series during the production cycle of the present model, thus introducing the first car of its kind able to run on both hydrogen and gasoline.
Developed in just 10 months
The BMW H2R was conceived, designed and developed by BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH, the legendary subsidiary of BMW AG, in just 10 months.
The expressive, purposeful exterior design was created by DesignworksUSA, the California-based strategic design consultancy owned by BMW Group.
“We had just 10 months to develop the H2R prototype”, states Jurgen Kubler, the H2R Project Manager. But a short time span like this is quite normal for the creative engineers that make this Company so very special.
In the process the engineers and development specialists were of course supported by three factors: First, the components featured in BMW’s hydrogen production car of the future have now reached a high degree of maturity allowing their unproblematic and straightforward adaptation for the record car.
Second, the development specialists were able in the development process to use proven BMW chassis and suspension systems naturally meeting the strictest requirements.
And third, consistent, far-reaching use of CAD technology allowed a clearly oriented and time-saving development process.
March 5th, 2008 by | No Comments | Filed in Hydrogen
