“Ouch” might be the word BMW is looking for after this strongly-worded analysis of the Hydrogen 7 Series.

(via Spiegel Online)

The Munich-based company is promising “sustainable mobility and sheer joy of driving,” citing the car’s 260 horsepower, 12-cylinder engine. The Hydrogen 7′s standard combustion engine has been adapted to run on both liquid hydrogen and regular gasoline as well — and tons of it. The company says the car will consume an average of 13.9 liters (3.7 gallons) per 100 kilometers (roughly 17 miles per gallon) using regular gasoline and a whopping 50 liters to drive the same distance when fueled by hydrogen.

In other words, BMW has created an energy-guzzling engine that only seems to be environmentally friendly — a farcical ecomobile whose only true merit is that of illustrating the cardinal dilemma of a possible hydrogen-based economy.

(Read the Complete Article)

The whole piece is full of bad news. Apparently those touting hydrogen as a near-term solution should be ashamed of themselves.