Goodbye E-cars: BMW Wants to Mass-Produce Hydrogen Cars

Hydrogen as an energy carrier will play an important role in many regions of the world.

To this end, the BMW Group is launching “the everyday testing of near-series vehicles with a hydrogen fuel cell drive on European roads,” according to a statement from the company. The first small series of BMW hydrogen cars is to be presented before the end of 2022.

Series production: BMW plans hydrogen as an important powertrain pillar
“The upper end of our X family, which enjoys great popularity with our customers, is particularly suitable here,” says Zipse. Overall, the energy crisis is driving hydrogen propulsion enormously.

“I can well imagine that we will also see the fuel cell in series production in the new class in the future,” explains CEO Zipse.

BMW has been working on fuel cell technology together with the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota since 2013. Just recently, a Chinese automaker announced the first mass production of hydrogen cars. In Germany, researchers at the Aerospace Center announced a hydrogen car at a low price.

Goodbye electric car: BMW wants to produce hydrogen cars in series

Klaus Fröhlich, Board Member for Development at BMW AG, explained:

We are convinced that different alternative drive systems will coexist in the future, as there is no single solution that covers all the mobility requirements of customers worldwide.

“The hydrogen fuel cell drive can become a fourth pillar in our drive portfolio in the long term.”

BMW expert: Hydrogen drive with “chicken-and-egg problem”

With the first road tests of BMW hydrogen cars, it is now becoming concrete. But before series production starts, there are still some hurdles to overcome.

Axel Rücker, Program Manager Hydrogen Fuel Cell at the BMW Group, explains:

We have a chicken-and-egg problem with hydrogen propulsion.

“As long as the network of hydrogen filling stations is so thin, the low demand from customers will not enable profitable series production of fuel cell cars. And as long as there are hardly any hydrogen cars on the roads, operators will be reluctant to expand their refuelling network.”

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

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