Locations: Denmark, Northern Germany. Meadows, fields, alleys; partly with wind power engines in the background.

Øresund Bridge (Baltic Sea). Continuity shots without car.Car-to-car shot on the ØresundbridgeCar-to-car shot on the Great Belt Bridge (Denmark)Aerial shots of the car driving on the Great Belt Bridge

Rear views of the car in front of glass façadeVarious slow drive-past shots and stills by the sea; off-shore wind power plants in the background

Various stills, pans and details incl. H2 displayView of engine compartment, engine is started

Roadside and car-to-car shots in Berlin city traffic, past various well-known buildingsas above, on-board camera

Filling procedure at the CEP (Clean Energy Partnership) TOTAL filling station in Berlin. Filling the car with liquefied hydrogenas above, Aral filling station in Berlin

Animation, edited with live footage. Aspect ratio: 4:3 Letterbox. Commentary as a guideline (see following timecodes):The car is filled with a user-friendly hydrogen nozzleAfter locking the nozzle, the fueling line is released for fillingLiquefied Hydrogen sprays into the tankInside the tank, a layer of gaseous hydrogen can always be found on top of the liquefied hydrogenWhen the filling process is finished, the nozzle is released in reverse orderWhen the car is started, the engine is supplied with gaseous hydrogenGaseous hydrogen flows at ambient temperature into the H2 engineIn the intake manifold, the gaseous hydrogen is mixed with oxygen from the airIn the H2 combustion engine, this mixture is burnt and converted directly into mechanical energyThe engine can be switched trouble-free between H2 mode and petrol mode (bivalent operation)The combustion of hydrogen and oxygen produces water vapourWater vapour flows through the exhaust systemWater vapour emerges. The cycle "water-hydrogen-water" closes

Studio shots of section model of car. Hydrogen specific features such as engine or fuel supply are uncoveredHydrogen boil-off valve in the roofBlue-flashing LEDs in the door locking knobs indicate, that gaseous hydrogen is emergingCockpit: switching between H2 mode and fuel mode; with display in the instrument clusterKey button inside the car for opening the H2 tank lidExhaust tail pipe for water vapourHydrogen tank (section) inside the carH2 tank lid opensView of H2 tank from inside the car through rear seat backrestSection model of the tank (solo). Studio shotsEngine exhibit. Studio shots

Working on a tank for a test vehicle in a clean room

Simulation of a sharp rise of pressure inside the tank, caused by a damage to the tank vacuum (of the insulation). The liquefied hydrogen gasifies and emerges through a boil-off valve at the car's roofFilling the test set-upControl room. Monitoring of the testTest set-up in the open. The plastic bag contains nitrogen to fill the vacuum

Fire behaviour test, comparing a petrol tank and a tank filled with liquefied hydrogen. The heat from outside causes a rise of pressure inside the hydrogen tank. The hydrogen gasifies and emerges through a safety valve into the air, where it burns off. From the fuel tank liquid petrol emerges and causes a surface fire. Test preparationsTestStatements by Dr. Joachim Wolf, Linde AG "What that means for the car manufacturer – or for cars in general – when we transfer this hypothetical situation into reality: an accident happens, petrol runs out, and a car drives into the flames. It’s not very nice when a car is on fire and people have to be rescued. That’s the case with petrol. With hydrogen, if the fuel escapes then it disperses upwards. That probably offers much better options for rescuing people who may be trapped in the vehicles.""Hydrogen is no more dangerous than petrol: I think this test shows that. We see a clear blue flame that doesn’t produce as much heat as burning petrol. Hydrogen is not more dangerous, but it’s also no less dangerous than petrol. It simply poses different potential hazards."

... at the BMW test centre in MiramasCar enters the premises. Filling of a test carWorkshop. Car is connected to a suction plantLeak test of the hydrogen fuel supply systemMechanic exchanges controllerTest drive on high-speed track. 3 vehicles3 test vehicles standing still. Various camera travels

Preperations, completion and analysis of a rear crashRear crash. Slow-motion shotsPole (lateral) crash. Slow-motion shots

Complete bodywork with hydrogen tank on a multi-component body test rig ("shaker") at the BMW test shop

Cold start in the morning.Test drives on snowy roadsFilling of a test carTest drives on icy handling course

Engine on test rig. Test runControl station

"We develop these cars just like normal conventional cars. We don’t cut corners with the tests, or reduce the milage they have to cover in the trial; we don’t make any compromises. This one will be just as much a BMW as all the other BMWs. It’s just not our mentality to do things differently.""Hydrogen has one very convenient physical property: it vaporizes very quickly and the vapour rises. That means: if an accident should happen – somebody runs into the rear end, and vacuum of the tank insulation is damaged – then the hydrogen evaporates very fast via a safety pipe leading to a vent hole in the roof. Then it probably just disperses in the atmosphere.""Petrol escaping from a fuel tank has the unfortunate property that it spreads out on the ground. It can envelop other vehicles involved in an accident, and that can give rise to a fire over an extensive area. If a hydrogen tank starts to burn, or, rather, if it ignites at the vent, then the hydrogen burns with a colourless flame and upwards. This means that if your car is involved then it’s probably the only one: with hydrogen as a fuel you won’t set fire to any surrounding vehicles.""Of course we’ve tried to minimize the risk of the tank being damaged from outside by placing it in the most favourable position for a fuel tank: above the rear axle. So if you have a rear-end accident, then there’s a relatively good crumple zone provided by the boot; and in the case of a side-on accident the suspension absorbs a lot of energy. So behind the rear seat is the best place for a hydrogen tank. And if you now ask: which would I sooner have on board, petrol or hydrogen, then these days I’d probably reckon hydrogen is safer.""Naturally the tank has been subjected to very extensive tests, some of them under the scrutiny of the technical supervision authority. And they’ve also confirmed that this hydrogen fuel supply system is at least as safe in use as a normal petrol system – if not safer.""No, we’re a long way from having an explosion. We carried out tests in which we exposed the complete fuel supply system to an open fire with flame temperatures of up to 900 degrees C, and practically nothing happened except that the pressure in the tank rose. And when the blow-off pressure of one of the safety valves is reached, then the tank vents: that’s all. I have to say it’s really very unspectacular!"

Assembly of a pre-series car. Installation of tank and controllerInstallation of the exhaust tail pipe for water vapour Filling of the tank with hydrogenLeak test of the tank system

Driver Jörg Weidinger gets in, final preparations before startWarm-up of the BMW H2R, various shots of car on race track and on-board camera shotsTelemetricsVarious driving shots during record runsTime measurement during high-speed run at speeds over 300 kphJubilation at the end of the record runs: drivers receive applause and congratulations

Electrolysis: animation: water is dissociated into oxygen and hydrogen by means of electric current. The energy required is delivered by a solar power plant in the desertElectrolysis: animation; more abstract vizualisationElectrolysis: experimental set-up with a photovoltaic panel connected, delivering the electric currentHydrogen liquefaction plant of Linde AG in Ingolstadt, Germany

Blue sky with rapidly moving cloudsSunrise; time lapseSunSolar collectors (paraboloidal reflectors)Solar power plantSea surfFlight from outer space towards the EarthWater (surf, streams)