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BMW
plans to offer a car that runs on both petrol and hydrogen within the next
four years.
BMW
chief executive Helmut Panke said he would include a hybrid
7-Series car
in the company's catalogue soon.
"By the
time we have those cars, we will probably have a number of hydrogen fuel
stations at our retail centres" in the United States, he said. He said
there were only a few hydrogen fuel stations in the US at present.
BMW has
already driven a test fleet of hydrogen-powered cars through several
countries. As petrol prices push higher, the prospect of alternative fuels
has become more popular among some drivers.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has promised to build hydrogen
fuelling stations every 32 kilometres along major California highways.
Mr
Panke said BMW planned to use hydrogen fuel with internal combustion
engines, instead of the fuel cells that other car makers were planning for
their hydrogen fuel technology.
Mr
Panke said BMW focused on giving customers a particular driving
experience, not just a beautiful car.
He said
the challenges of developing a hydrogen-powered car had included finding a
way to keep the hydrogen cold enough to remain in a liquid state. If the
fuel became too warm, it evaporated and could escape, he explained.
A
further challenge had been to make sure the fuel did not leak or evaporate
on its way from the hydrogen tank to the engine. Mr Panke said he believed
BMW had resolved those issues.
He
estimated that it would probably be 20 to 30 years until hydrogen became a
standard. Until then, car makers would experiment with hybrid models, he
said.
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