The first mass-produced BMW with a hydrogen fuel-cell will soon be available to buy, jointly developed with Toyota.
BMW will begin mass production of a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle as soon as 2025.
Co-developed with Toyota, BMW says the hydrogen-electric SUV is expected to go on sale within three years, according to Nikkei Asia, following a limited run of its experimntal hydrogen-powered BMW X5 this year.
The partnership between BMW and Toyota may seem unusual.
However, the relationship between the two auto giants started several years ago with the jointly-developed Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 sports cars.
In May 2021, BMW announced it would be putting the hydrogen SUV into ‘pilot’ production before the end of 2022, but now says hydrogen vehicles will be available in European showrooms from 2025.
It’s understood BMW developed the fuel-cell powertrain jointly with Toyota – one of the first carmakers to offer a hydrogen vehicle in Australia – with the two companies beginning the project back in 2013.
“We see that hydrogen fuel-cell technology is particularly relevant for larger SUVs,” BMW Group’s head of sales, Pieter Nota, told Nikkei.
“We do believe in the importance of various technologies – battery electric vehicles, also hydrogen and efficient combustion engines – because we don’t want to put all our investment in one area.”
BMW claims it was the first manufacturer to create a “production-ready hydrogen vehicle,” with 100 examples of the Hydrogen 7 built between 2005 and 2007 – however, that 7 Series used hydrogen to fuel the V12 internal-combustion engine.
The current crop of fuel-cell vehicles work in a similar way to a typical electric vehicle, but instead use hydrogen to generate electricity.
While details of the 2025 BMW haven’t been announced, the hydrogen X5 from 2019 used two carbon-fibre reinforced tanks for a total capacity of 6kg of fuel, powering a 275kW electric motor at the rear axle.
It’s estimated roughly one kilogram of hydrogen is needed to drive 100 kilometres in a fuel-cell vehicle.
It’s too early to know whether Australia will see the hydrogen BMW on sale locally, but the alternative fuel is expected to play a role in this country’s transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles – particularly within the transport industry – with a ‘hydrogen superhighway’ set to be created along the east coast in the coming years.
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