BMW’s hydrogen program manager hopes to put a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) into production within a few years, pending the brand’s upcoming decision on the future of its hydrogen program.
The Bavarian automaker is currently touring its iX5 hydrogen development vehicle around the world, with hopes of bringing a production FCEV to market by the end of the decade.
But there’s no guarantee you’ll ever see a hydrogen-powered BMW in showrooms, as the brand has yet to commit to hydrogen passenger cars with a decision on the technology will be made later this year.
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However, BMW’s general manager of hydrogen technology, Dr Jürgen Guldner, says all the pieces are in place to produce a model to launch by 2030.
“We haven’t decided which car, but we are ready to launch a vehicle this decade,” Dr Guldner told CarExpert.
“Once we make the decision that we need to develop the car, which will take several years, then we will decide which markets are ready to accept the technology.”
BMW won’t reveal any information about the potential debut hydrogen model, but it’s possible the iX5 development car could be ready for production.
Based on X5 The SUV, the iX5 is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell drive consisting of two carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) hydrogen tanks that can store up to 6 kg of hydrogen under a pressure of 700 bar; fuel cell producing 125kW; and electric motor and battery.
The system’s total output is 295kW, while charging takes less than five minutes, and BMW claims the car’s range is over 500km.
If not a production version of the iX5, the first hydrogen BMW will likely be an SUV. Dr Guldner confirmed that the drivetrain included in the iX5 development car could be carried over to other models.
Just don’t expect hydrogen powered 1 series or 5 series soon, as distribution across the entire model range is likely only in the next decade.
“The deployment will come later, in 2030, because this is a long-term project,” added Dr. Guldner.
“We’ve been working as BMW on hydrogen for 40 years… it’s not unusual for us to take a couple of decades for something.
“We’re just looking for the right time to launch.”
As for where the BMW FCEV will be sold, there are few markets that have the infrastructure and/or ambition to support hydrogen passenger cars.
A network of hydrogen refueling stations exists in the US state of California, while the EU is set to mandate the installation of hydrogen refueling infrastructure in all urban hubs and spaced at intervals of every 200 km, starting in 2030.
Fewer than 10 operational hydrogen refueling stations are scattered across Australia, but Dr Gouldner sees plenty of potential Down Under.
“Hydrogen is ideal for Australia because you have a lot of solar and wind power, so you can use the production of a lot of hydrogen for export, but why not use that too?” Dr Gouldner said.
“You also have long travel distances and metropolitan areas where electric charging at scale can be a problem.
“All the ingredients are there.
“All countries that have sufficient infrastructure are potential markets for us. There are many places that already have infrastructure like California, Europe will have infrastructure, Japan, Korea, China and there are many countries that are interested in building infrastructure like Australia.”
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