Jay Leno has become the latest person to receive keys to a BMW Hydrogen 7, the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. The Emmy-winning comedian and host of The Tonight Show received his BMW Hydrogen 7 at his famed car garage in Burbank, California, which is fittingly a "green garage" that receives a great deal of its energy from steam power.
"As an avid car enthusiast I'm always interested in the future of automotive technology," said Leno.
"With the BMW Hydrogen 7 I can experience all the fun and great features of a performance car, yet know that I'm being environmentally friendly at the same time! I look forward to driving the Hydrogen 7 and learning more about hydrogen as a fuel for our future."
Running in hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapor, representing a major step in reducing harmful CO2 emissions.
It 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.
BMW believes that hydrogen will replace petroleum as the long-term alternative to fossil fuel, and hopes the Hydrogen 7 will play a pioneering role in driving forward the hydrogen technologies that will ensure our mobility in the future.
Through a program dubbed the Hydrogen 7 Pioneers Program, BMW is giving industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics, business and more a BMW Hydrogen 7 for their daily use.
The hydrogen pioneers will be instrumental in helping people understand that hydrogen technology is here, it is now and it is what BMW Group believe holds the key to our future mobility.
While Leno and BMW's hydrogen pioneers will be the first group to be given access to the BMW Hydrogen 7 in the U.S. for a longer period of use, a number of entertainers, politicians, business leaders and more have opted for a BMW Hydrogen 7 as their energy-efficient ride of choice.