There’s more than electricity in BMW’s future.
The German luxury marque has announced plans to put its first hydrogen car into production. You won’t have to wait long for the vehicle, either. If everything goes to plan it will be here by 2028.
BMW is teaming up with Toyota to develop a new generation of fuel-cell powertrains. The two automakers have worked together in the past, most notably on the current-generation Supra, but hope that pouring more resources into the partnership can help make hydrogen vehicles more viable. Up until now, the technology, which converts hydrogen into electricity while only emitting water, has failed to catch on despite the abundance of the element due to high costs and the lack of infrastructure, according to Bloomberg. Sales of hydrogen cars, the most popular of which may be the Toyota Mirai, dwindled to just 9,000 units last year.
With 2028 still four years away, BMW’s announcement was devoid of concrete details about its first hydrogen car other than it will be integrated into the brand’s existing portfolio. The brand has previously tested a hydrogen-powered iX5 pilot fleet (pictured above), so it would not be a surprise if the vehicle is based on the mid-size SUV. The next generation of the model is expected to debut before 2028, according to Motor1.com, so the timing would work out nicely.
“This is a milestone in automotive history: the first-ever series production fuel cell vehicle to be offered by a global premium manufacturer. Powered by hydrogen and driven by the spirit of our cooperation, it will underscore how technological progress is shaping future mobility,” Oliver Zipse, the chairman of BMW’s Board of Management, said in a statement.
Don’t view BMW’s pledge to build a hydrogen car as a pivot. The company remains committed to electrifying its lineup of vehicles—and with good reason. At a time when the rest of its peers are pumping the breaks on their electrification strategy due to a lack of customer demand, BMW’s EVs are selling better than ever before. In fact, the company is expected to debut its next-generation of battery-powered vehicles, dubbed the Neue Klasse lineup, next year. Instead, hydrogen vehicles will become just another segment for the automaker, along with gas-, hybrid-, and battery-powered vehicles.
