7:20 am, October 21, 2022
BMW will launch a hydrogen-powered car before the end of the decade as it looks to hedge its bets on the fuel type of the future.
BMW chairman Oliver Zipse told journalists that all future models are being designed with adaptability in mind to ensure powertrains can be easily interchanged.
Hydrogen-powered cars use the fuel to create electricity that power the wheels – the only byproduct is water. However, there are currently very few hydrogen filling stations around the world – the UK has just 11.
Zipse believes that as electric vehicle charging infrastructure struggles to keep pace with the growing number of electric cars on the roads, there will be a place for hydrogen-powered cars.
He said: ‘If you have an architecture package [that is ready for] hydrogen, it is exactly the same size of your battery pack. It’s not a problem at all.
‘That’s why architectures are so important. Flexible architectures are the key to everything. And if you have not thought about that, you will not be able to offer your products in specific regions in the future.
‘We will launch a hydrogen car before this decade ends, that’s not that far away. Just over eight years.’
Zipse said there will be markets BMW wants to target that do not have enough charging stations for electric cars and where hydrogen will be the perfect solution.
‘That’s already visible today,’ he said.
‘And at the same time, you will get local regulations where you have to be emission-free. The only option in these markets is hydrogen, especially for larger cars.’
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So far, only Honda and Hyundai have launched hydrogen-powered cars. They’re both prohibitively more expensive to buy than conventionally fuelled alternatives.
Zipse was speaking at the launch of the new 7 Series, which is being debuted with a fully electric i7 version in the range. He suggested that this platform was already set up for hydrogen power.
He added: ‘Hydrogen copies an electric car, so perfectly blends in.
‘If you already have an electric car, which is battery-propelled, it’s not so difficult to make it a hydrogen car.’
Zipse said that in the future BMW will offer petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, fully electric and hydrogen models.
‘If you only offer one, your market possibilities will shrink automatically,’ he added.
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In March, BMW put an iX5 Hydrogen model through its paces in testing at the Arctic Circle.
At the time, the German firm said the testing had proved that the zero-emission powertrain was a viable option in sub-zero conditions.
BMW also said it was committed to help increase the number of hydrogen fuelling stations. The promise came as Shell shut two of its sites in the UK earlier this year after it said electric cars were dominating.
The Arctic test took place because electric vehicles are less effective in colder climates, as the battery’s range reduces as the temperature drops.
However, BMW was keen to point out that the iX5’s ‘drive system continued to offer its full operating range’ even in the freezing conditions.
The iX5 has a hydrogen powertrain, which is made up of an electric motor and battery similar to a traditional electric vehicle. However, the difference is that a chemical reaction takes place within a hydrogen fuel cell, fuelled by an on-board hydrogen fuel tank, to make electricity to power the car.
