Skip to Content

BMW: Engine for Hydrogen

The company has a low-polluting, 260-horsepower prototype.
November 1, 2006

If hydrogen fails as a transportation fuel, nobody can blame BMW, which has built prototype hydrogen-gasoline ­internal-­combustion engines for years and is now touting a version (at left) that’s undergone rigorous product development. BMW plans to give 100 luxury hydrogen cars next year to politicians, celebrities, and other people who can promote hydrogen. The engine can generate 260 horsepower, something a full-size electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell cannot now do, says Thomas Korn, senior project engineer for BMW’s hydrogen program in Oxnard, CA. Although hydrogen combustion leads to the formation of nitrogen oxides, BMW’s new car has sophisticated control systems that minimize those pollutants by optimizing hydrogen concentrations and engine timing. But will it ever make it to the mass market? It’s a long shot, says John Heywood, director of the Sloan Automotive Laboratory at MIT. Despite the need for cleaner cars, he says, “a feeling is growing that, really, hydrogen isn’t a particularly convenient way of doing all of this.”

BMW’s new hydrogen-gasoline internal-combustion engine . (Courtesy of BMW).

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.