Makes › BMW Germany › Hydrogen 7 (E65) · Rare specification Extremely Rare

BMW
Hydrogen 7 (E65)

Hydrogen-powered 7 Series leased to high-profile customers; lead gives 100 cars.

Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

BMW Hydrogen 7 (E65) (Wikimedia Commons search)
BMW Hydrogen 7 (E65) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Sachi Gahan from San Francisco, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
100BuiltFactory reported
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
100 Built
Years
Not yet verified
Engine
Not yet verified
Power
194 kW / 264 PSFactory: 260 hp · converted
Top speed
230 km/hFactory: 143 mph · converted
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The Hydrogen 7 is a bi-fuel 7 Series that burns hydrogen in a combustion engine, not in a fuel cell. BMW presented it as the first production-ready hydrogen vehicle, but it was built as a limited test fleet and not offered for sale.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityExtremely Rare 100 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed Production figure not yet verified.
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionHydrogen 7 cars planned for the initial loan fleet in the United States, Europe and Asia; a fleet count, not a sales count 1001 Factory production Factory reported

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

BMW announced in 2006 that it would build a limited number of hydrogen-powered luxury performance cars in 2007. The 260 hp V12 ran on premium petrol or hydrogen. The hydrogen was stored as a liquid, about 8 kg, which BMW gave as a 120 mile range, and the 74-liter petrol tank added more range.

BMW planned 100 cars for loan in the United States, Europe and Asia. Cars.com reported that they would be leased to people chosen by BMW rather than sold.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Hydrogen 7 (E65).

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutNot yet verified
Cylinders122 Independently researched
DisplacementNot yet verified
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Fuel systembi-fuel: hydrogen or premium-grade gasoline2 Independently researched
Power 194 kW / 264 PSFactory: 260 hp · converted2,3 Independently researchedOnly the press report gives the rating standard as not stated; the level D blog repeats 260 hp. Not converted.
Power atNot yet verified
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxNot yet verified
GearsNot yet verified
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 230 km/hFactory: 143 mph · converted3 Independently researchedOnly a level D blog gives this figure, so it is shown as unverified. From an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry.
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tank 74 LFactory: 74 L4 Independently researchedThis is the petrol tank. The hydrogen store is separate (about 8 kg liquid hydrogen).

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    BMW Hydrogen 7 (BMW clean energy page) Level A BMW Group
    • we're putting 100 of them to the test as loan cars
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  2. 2
    Coming soon: Hydrogen-powered BMW Level C CNNMoney.com · 2006-09-12
    • 260-horsepower 12-cylinder internal combustion engine
    • capable of running on either premium-grade gasoline or hydrogen
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  3. 3
    BMW Production Hydrogen car Level D Greener Machine (blog)
    • 260hp V12 engine
    • 143mph
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  4. 4
    Road Testing BMW's Hydrogen 7 Level C Wired
    • 74-liter (19.5-gallon) gasoline tank
    Accessed 2026-11-13