BMW announced the Hydrogen 7 mono-fuel, which features an internal combustion engine that produces near-zero emissions while at the same time combusting ambient air pollutants. The new engine is designed to run solely on hydrogen while feeling similar in operation to a regular 7-series gas-powered car. The 6.0-liter engine also achieves greater range than the bi-fuel Hydrogen 7 that the company had previously announced.

Since the consumed hydrogen has no carbon, the engine would produce no CO2, hydrocarbons, or other pollutants, the company said in a statement. The difference is that the existing pollutants in the surrounding air would be consumed by the engine (along with small amounts of oil). The company claims the result is near-undetectable emissions.

BMW is betting heavily on hydrogen, saying that it generates no CO2, it can be produced using renewable solar, wind, and geothermal technologies, and it can be produced on any stable part of the planet. Hydrogen cars can also be refueled quickly, instead of having to charge like plug-in hybrids; they also don't require any additional electric infrastructure.

Source: BMW Group Press Club