Preeminent Environmentalist John Picard Latest To Receive Keys to BMW Hydrogen 7

Jay Leno, opera star Placido Domingo, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Sharon Stone, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Jeremy Piven, Will Ferrell are just some of the celebrities that BMW has convinced of the goodness of the emission-free BMW Hydrogen 7.

The celebrities are taking part in BMW's "Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program," a PR campaign that "gives industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics, business and more a BMW Hydrogen 7 for their daily use."

The latest person to evaluate the technology of the BMW's largest sedan with the virtually emission-free power of a hydrogen combustion engine, one of one-of-25 BMW Hydrogen 7s, is Sustainability Expert, Builder and Entrepreneur John Picard.

Picard's commitment to sustainability has helped him to become one of the most sought-after experts in his field. He was one of the first members of President Bill Clinton's Greening of the White House team that developed environmental energy audits and innovative upgrade recommendations for the White House. In 1995, John received international attention when he built his own home completely "off the grid" to operate independent of all traditional paid utility services. Picard is currently serving as Sustainability Expert for Planet Green's major programming initiative that tells the real story of a town in Kansas that is re-building green after a tornado. GREENSBURG, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Craig Piligian is a 13 - episode series that will air on Planet Green - the newest member of the Discovery Network Family - in May.

Sustainability Expert, Builder and Entrepreneur John Picard will hit the road in BMW's hydrogen-powered luxury sedan

EU Parliamentary President Hans-Gert Pöttering with Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of BMW AG

Also, last week EU Parliamentary President Hans-Gert Pöttering received BMW Hydrogen 7. BMW said that this move was "In line with the European Parliament's efforts to take measures to reduce its own CO2 emissions." Pöttering will use the car for work-related trips. For his part, Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of BMW AG, said the Hydrogen 7 "shows that we have initial solutions and are on the right track" and that for "regeneratively produced hydrogen has the most potential to secure our mobility in the future."

The BMW Hydrogen 7 melds the polished luxury of BMW's largest sedan with the virtually emission-free power of a hydrogen combustion engine.

The BMW Hydrogen 7 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. Running in hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapor, representing a major step in reducing harmful CO2 emissions.

[source: BMW]