Sunday, September 28, 2008

New York, New Jersey say No to BMW Hydrogen 7-Series

hindenburg disaster

Well we have seen stories that describe how volatile some types of green fuels are. Now hear this.



There are currently 20 BMW Hydrogen 7-Series in the U.S. All are powered by a combination of gasoline and hydrogen. The latter is not a fuel-cell, either; the Hydrogen 7 directly burns the volatile gas like gasoline instead of combining it oxygen to generate electricity.

Well, the concept is being banned from tunnels in the New York City area. Why? Travel is restricted because hydrogen is extremely flammable.

The 7 is banned from the Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel. However, it can travel on bridges in the New York City area including the George Washington Bridge, but only on its top deck.

Our take? This could be a case of the people in charge watching the newsreel clips of the Hindenberg blowing up too many times. BMW has done a number of extensive tests that assure that an event being conjured up here does not take place. The tank in which the hydrogen is stored is securely constructed. It is well insulated and any vapor that builds up within the tank can be released through a pair of vents in the roof in a controlled manner.

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