It may come as a surprise, but BMW started hydrogen research in 1978. However, it wasn’t until 2000 that the E38 750hL arrived. A fleet of 15 cars was presented in Berlin with a V12 engine capable of running on gasoline and hydrogen. The vehicles were used as shuttles during Expo 2000 in Hannover. The Hydrogen 7 followed in 2006 during the E68 life cycle – again with a V12 – and was put into production, albeit in small numbers.
Fast forward to 2022, BMW has started in-house fuel cell production of the iX5 Hydrogen and plans to build a limited run of the hydrogen SUV. Unfortunately, there is no V12 at this time. Why does the Munich-based automaker insist that this technology has a future? Well, it will apparently become fashionable after the battery-powered electric vehicle craze died out in an indefinite period of time. At least that’s what company president Oliver Zipse thinks.
68 Pictures
In an interview with Bloomberg, the boss of BMW said: “After the electric car, which has been around for about 10 years and is developing rapidly, the next trend will be hydrogen. When it is more scalable, hydrogen will be the most connected thing to conduct.” He went on to say that having only one powertrain – namely battery electric vehicles – available in Europe in 2035 would be a dangerous thing:
“For customers, for industry, for jobs, for the climate, from every angle, this is a dangerous path.”
BMW is not alone in the hydrogen boat as Toyota also believes there is a future for fuel cell vehicles. In fact, the two automakers are collaborating on FCVs and will begin mass production as early as 2025. Earlier this year, BMW sales chief Pieter Nota said Asia Nikkei the Bavarian brand is working on “various projects” with the Japanese brand.
Both companies have spoken out against the rush to mainstream battery electric vehicles. Besides hydrogen technology, BMW and Toyota believe there is still a future for combustion engines, especially in markets where charging infrastructure leaves much to be desired.
Of course, hydrogen stations are rare and it is not up to car manufacturers to build them. On the other hand, the electric vehicle charging network is growing rapidly, which is why most car brands are investing billions in ICE-free cars. BMW will end the petrol engine in Rolls-Royce models at the end of the decade, and Mini will follow in the early 2030s. The main brand has not set a deadline for the combustion engine.
It may come as a surprise, but BMW started hydrogen research in 1978. However, it wasn’t until 2000 that the E38 750hL arrived. A fleet of 15 cars was presented in Berlin with a V12 engine capable of running on gasoline and hydrogen. The vehicles were used as shuttles during Expo 2000 in Hannover. The Hydrogen 7 followed in 2006 during the E68 life cycle – again with a V12 – and was put into production, albeit in small numbers.
Fast forward to 2022, BMW has started in-house fuel cell production of the iX5 Hydrogen and plans to build a limited run of the hydrogen SUV. Unfortunately, there is no V12 at this time. Why does the Munich-based automaker insist that this technology has a future? Well, it will apparently become fashionable after the battery-powered electric vehicle craze died out in an indefinite period of time. At least that’s what company president Oliver Zipse thinks.
68 Pictures
In an interview with Bloomberg, the boss of BMW said: “After the electric car, which has been around for about 10 years and is developing rapidly, the next trend will be hydrogen. When it is more scalable, hydrogen will be the most connected thing to conduct.” He went on to say that having only one powertrain – namely battery electric vehicles – available in Europe in 2035 would be a dangerous thing:
“For customers, for industry, for jobs, for the climate, from every angle, this is a dangerous path.”
BMW is not alone in the hydrogen boat as Toyota also believes there is a future for fuel cell vehicles. In fact, the two automakers are collaborating on FCVs and will begin mass production as early as 2025. Earlier this year, BMW sales chief Pieter Nota said Asia Nikkei the Bavarian brand is working on “various projects” with the Japanese brand.
Both companies have spoken out against the rush to mainstream battery electric vehicles. Besides hydrogen technology, BMW and Toyota believe there is still a future for combustion engines, especially in markets where charging infrastructure leaves much to be desired.
Of course, hydrogen stations are rare and it is not up to car manufacturers to build them. On the other hand, the electric vehicle charging network is growing rapidly, which is why most car brands are investing billions in ICE-free cars. BMW will end the petrol engine in Rolls-Royce models at the end of the decade, and Mini will follow in the early 2030s. The main brand has not set a deadline for the combustion engine.