The Munich-based company wants to develop the next generation of fuel cell propulsion together with Toyota. The first FCEV model is scheduled to roll off the production line in four years.
Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and Koji Sato, President and Member of the Board of Directors (Representative Director) of Toyota Motor Corporation.
BMW AG
BMW plans to start series production of a hydrogen car with a fuel cell (FCEV) in 2028. The Japanese carmaker Toyota and BMW have agreed to jointly develop the next generation of fuel cell technology. The collaboration in purchasing and development is expected to ensure large volumes and reduce costs. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse says that "this will usher in an era of significant demand for fuel cell electric vehicles".
Toyota President Koji Sato spoke of a new stage in the long cooperation between the two companies "with the goal of building a hydrogen society". In view of the increasing scarcity of battery raw materials on the one hand and insufficient charging networks on the other, Zipse does not want to put all his eggs in one basket. He sees electric cars that draw their power from hydrogen instead of from a battery as the perfect complement.
Other Manufacturers Already Have Hydrogen-Powered Cars in Serial Production
The two-year test of a small series of hydrogen BMW iX5 Hydrogen with customers in Asia, America and Europe has shown that the technology is very robust, operational and ready for serial production, says project manager Michael Rath. The company will thus also become less dependent on battery raw materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt, which are in high demand.
Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and several other manufacturers already use the technology in series production. In Germany, there are only a few hydrogen filling stations – in China, South Korea, Japan and California, the network is significantly better, explains Rath. A nationwide network is being set up for trucks anyway. The company is not yet disclosing in which plant BMW is building its hydrogen car in series production. The factors at play here include e-charging networks, hydrogen infrastructure and BMW sales figures.
Customer Preferences Differ Around the World
Customer preferences differ around the world. An FCEV running on green hydrogen produces no emissions, just as a battery-powered car does. Unlike the battery-powered car, however, it can also drive long distances in extreme heat or cold without long charging breaks, emphasizes Rath. A full tank takes only three minutes. The hydrogen supplies the electricity for the electric motor through the fuel cell; only water vapor comes out of the exhaust pipe.
The company is not yet disclosing which BMW model will be offered as a hydrogen car in addition to the existing range. But the advantages are more pronounced in large, heavy vehicles. And production costs are high due to the small quantities and the expensive platinum in the fuel cells.
Toyota is a Leader in Fuel Cells
BMW buys the fuel cells for its hydrogen car from Toyota and supplies components to the Japanese company. Toyota is considered the world leader in fuel cells and has been on the market for a long time with the Mirai luxury sedan. China is also banking on a combination of battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and hydrogen cars (FCEV).
Hydrogen is easy to transport and is considered a good way to store excess wind and solar energy. Using electricity directly is more efficient than using hydrogen as a detour. "But it is even less efficient to shut down wind turbines and solar panels when their electricity is not needed", says Rath.
This is a partly automated translation of this German article by dpa.
