BMW E38 750hL

On May 11, 2000, BMW rolled out a fleet of fifteen 750hL models in Berlin, showing the world a cutting-edge twist on their classic V12 (M73). Under the hood, you've got a twelve-cylinder engine that can run on both hydrogen and petrol—how cool is that? Running on hydrogen, it puts out a respectable 201 hp, taking it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.6 seconds. And while it's not about blistering speed, it still manages to hit a top end of 226 km/h (140 mph).

The main difference from a standard petrol engine lies in the intake system, with extra injection valves added for hydrogen. "The hydrogen is stored cryogenically—i.e. in super-chilled and liquid form—at a temperature of around minus 250° Celsius [minus 418° F] in a double-walled steel tank behind the rear seatbacks," BMW said at the time. "Two safety valves ensure controlled ventilation in the case of excess pressure."

At the Expo 2000 in Hanover, these 750hL models served as VIP shuttles. Then, from February to November 2001, they hit the road for the "CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001," making stops in Dubai, Brussels, Milan, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Berlin. By the end of the tour, the fleet had clocked over 150,000 km. And just to prove it wasn't all show, one of the 750hL models recorded a lap time of 9 minutes and 53 seconds on the Nürburgring—running entirely on hydrogen.

"As an additional highlight, the BMW 750hL will feature a fuel cell implemented where BMW Group researchers consider it to be most useful: as a battery replacement to provide vehicle electrical power," the automaker pointed out at the time. "This means, for example, that the air conditioning system can be operated without the engine running."