BMW today announced the launch of the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program as it handed over the keys of a BMW Hydrogen 7 -- the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan -- to Hollywood actor Will Ferrell. Through the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program, BMW will give industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics, business and more a BMW Hydrogen 7 for their daily use.

In launching the program, BMW underscores the fact that the BMW Hydrogen 7 is not a concept car, but a production model vehicle that has successfully completed the entire Product Development Process, meeting all the standards necessary for driving on U.S. roadways. Running in hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapor, representing a major step in reducing harmful CO2 emissions. During the program, 25 of the 100 cars that are produced will be used in evaluation programs in the US. The BMW Hydrogen 7 is not for sale, but is considered to be a milestone in bringing forward hydrogen as the sustainable fuel for individual transportation.

BMW believes 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.

Thus, 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. By harnessing the power and influence of individuals who, like Will Ferrell, are at the forefront of their respective disciplines, BMW hopes to continue to generate support of hydrogen-drive vehicles in the short term and stimulate demand for a viable hydrogen infrastructure in the long-term.

Ferrell is the first in a series of Americans who BMW plans to announce in the coming months that will help the company in its mission to build widespread support of hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

While Ferrell and BMW's future hydrogen pioneers will become the first group to be given access to the BMW Hydrogen 7 in the US 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. Those who have recently chosen the vehicle include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the "Ocean's 13" premiere in Hollywood; Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori at the FOX All-Star Party in Santa Monica; Richard Gere and Sharon Stone at the Cinema for Peace Gala in Berlin; and "An Inconvenient Truth" producer Davis Guggenheim (Oscar(R) for the best Documentary Feature) and Best Foreign Language Film Oscar(R) winner, director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck at the 2007 Academy Awards; among others. The vehicle has also made an impact oversees, with luminaries such as Michael Glos, German Federal Minister for Economy and Technology, and Gunter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission, world renowned soprano Anna Netrebko and many others covering more than 1.3 million Miles worldwide till now.