Hydrogen in the Oil Emirate: The CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001 kicks off in Dubai / Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is patron of the event

Dubai (PROTEXT) - On February 1st the BMW hydrogen fleet willbegin its world tour. The first stop and starting point of the"CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001" is Dubai (City), the up-and-comingmetropolis on the Persian Gulf. The governing Sheik Mohammed BinRashid Al Maktoum has agreed to be patron of the event. In Europe the fleet of fifteen BMW 750hl models has alreadycovered over 100,000 kilometers with success and has proved thatthe hydrogen automobile with internal combustion engine has beentechnically implemented. The BMW Group, the world's firstmanufacturer to build a small series of hydrogen cars, iscontinuing in its commitmeht to the cleanest energy of the futureby holding events for politics, science and the media. Dubai offered itself as the ideal starting point for theWorldTour: the emirate is one of the centers of the global energysupply and is considered to be highly future-oriented. Successfulprojects such as the world's first Internet City emphasise thecountry's innovative power. In addition Dubai awards the largestenvironment prize, The "Zayed International Prize for theEnvironment". Various projects in the areas of regenerativeenergy and environmental protection have already been launchedwith international cooperation. Since Dubai is located on theearth's sunbelt, the initiative of the BMW Group for theregenerative production of hydrogen met with constructiveinterest. About one year ago the BMW Group already participated at the"International Conference and Exhibition on desertification",where the hydrogen-powered 7 Series sedan was one of the greatestattractions. Dr. Mohammed Bin Fahed, Chairman of the Zayed InternationalPrize, supports the BMW CleanEnergy Strategy: "There iscompelling evidence that global warming and climate change isunderway, affecting human health, habitats, wildlife, andeconomies around the world. If the trend is to be stemmed, it isnecessary to switch to clean energy sources, including those forautomobiles," he stresses. "BMW's efforts in developing hydrogenas an alternative clean energy source are highly appreciated bythe environmental institutions and organisations worldwide.After all, the fossil fuel reserves will not last forever," headds. bp, one of the leading global players in the energy sector andpartner of the Dubai event, also sees the necessity of gaininghydrogen from regenerative energies in the future and thereforeis dedicating itself to the CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001. CO2emissions, which are considered to be the main influence on theworld climate, can only be reduced in the long-term by usingregeneratively producted hydrogen. Apart from bp, the Germancompany Linde AG - a worldwide supplier of hydrogen - is alsoparticipating in the event. Linde is not only a partner inresearch for tank systems, but also a supplier for liquifiedhydrogen and refill facilities throughout the CleanEnergyWorldTour. BMW 750hl is the first series-produced hydrogen automobile inthe world In May 2000 the BMW Group presented the first series-producedhydrogen car to the world. This successfully initiated theprocess for spreading hydrogen as the energy source of thefuture. Parallel to this an exhibition in the Transport Centre ofthe Deutsches Museum in Munich, held on the occasion of the EXPO2000, informed the public about the production and utilisation ofCleanEnergy. As part of the CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001, the BMW Group willcontinue to promote this process worldwide by means ofinternational events for the world of politics, science and themedia. After its launch in Dubai, the Tour will visit other citiestoo, such as Brussels, Milan, Tokyo and Los Angeles. The focus of the CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001 is on the lastingcharacter of the "production - distribution - utilisation ofhydrogen in automobiles" process. At each of the individual tourstops, specific aspects of the process will be highlighted. In Dubai, for example, the main issue will be the productionof hydrogen with the help of the unlimited supply of solarenergy. In Tokyo and Los Angeles the emissions-free operation ofhydrogen vehicles will be the main theme. In Europe the Tour willfocus on the distribution of hydrogen as well as on thedefinition of norms and standards necessary to help hydrogentechnology achieve market breakthrough. Cross-reference: Photo is available at: http://recherche.newsaktuell.de/story.htx?nr=216601&action=bigpic&att =6205 http://recherche.newsaktuell.de/story.htx?nr=216601&action=bigpic&att =6206 Caption: The BMW hydrogen fleet World Tour started in theDubai Emirates ots Original Text Service: BMW Group Internet :http://recherche.newsaktuell.de For questions please contact: Corporate Communications Andreas Klugescheid, Product and Engineering, Technology andInnovation Telefon: +49 89 382-25506, Fax: +49 89 382-27563 Thomas Gubitz, Product and Engineering, Technology andInnovation Telefon: +49 89 382-23504, Fax: +49 89 382-27563 Internet: http://www.press.bmwgroup.com e-mail: presse@bmw.de

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