High-profile business leaders and VIPs are to be loaned one of BMW’s hydrogen-powered 7 Series cars as the manufacturer raises awareness of its new environmentally-friendly model.

BMW UK has imported eight Hydrogen 7s, out of a total worldwide build of just 100 units, for use as chauffeur-driven support vehicles at high-profile events over the summer.

BMW will also loan them to the business leaders and VIPs so they can see how ‘normal’ the Hydrogen 7 is to drive.

The Hydrogen 7 is powered by a 260bhp 6.0-litre V12 engine which can run on either petrol or hydrogen – when running on the latter it emits just water vapour.

Uwe Ellinghaus, marketing director of BMW UK, said: “It will take years for a suitable infrastructure to develop that makes hydrogen power an easy option for the consumer, but all indications are hydrogen is the only genuine long-term sustainable power source for cars.”