MUNICH, Germany — BMW Group has begun manufacturing of an early-stage hydrogen-powered crossover — a milestone within the German automaker’s diversified powertrain technique.
A take a look at fleet of BMW iX5 Hydrogen automobiles, based mostly on the favored BMW X5 crossover, will hit the street early subsequent yr because the automaker goals to commercialize the expertise by decade’s finish.
BMW is one of some automakers that see gasoline cell expertise gaining traction in a world souring on emissions-spewing combustion engine automobiles.
Challenge supervisor Thomas Hofmann mentioned gasoline cell automobiles mix the emissions-free advantages of EVs with the short refueling functionality — requiring three to 5 minutes — of gasoline-powered automobiles.
Quick refueling is a novel promoting level of the expertise, Hofmann instructed Automotive Information at a media briefing this week. “We won’t want so many hydrogen refueling stations,” he mentioned.
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse sees hydrogen energy because the yin to battery energy’s yang.
“In our view, hydrogen is the lacking piece of the puzzle that may complement electromobility in locations the place battery-electric drivetrains are unable to realize traction,” Zipse mentioned this summer time.
With a lot of the auto business going all-in on electrical automobiles, BMW is taking a realistic method — investing in combustion engines, battery-electric and gasoline cell powertrains.
“If you wish to be resilient, it’s important to be versatile,” Zipse mentioned.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen, being constructed at a pilot plant in BMW Group’s Analysis and Innovation Centre in Munich, delivers 374 hp and greater than 300 miles of vary based mostly on European take a look at cycles. An onboard gasoline cell system combines hydrogen with oxygen to generate electrical energy, which powers an electrical motor.
The corporate’s gasoline cell expertise push comes as governments try and ban automobiles with combustion engines.
In international locations “all all over the world, combustion engines will likely be prohibited,” Hofmann mentioned. “We can not promote them, 2030s onwards.”
However the actuality of hydrogen-powered automobiles cruising down the freeway is way from assured.
Hofmann pointed to the “chicken-egg drawback.”
“You want an infrastructure on the one aspect and product on the opposite aspect,” he mentioned.
Hydrogen refueling infrastructure is minuscule, a major obstacle to the expertise’s adoption. There are 48,148 electric-vehicle charging stations in america, in keeping with November 2022 figures from the Vitality Division’s Various Fuels Knowledge Heart. In the meantime, there are simply 54 public hydrogen fueling stations.
It’s small marvel that the passenger-car market’s solely two gasoline cell fashions aren’t gross sales blockbusters.
In Japan, the place Toyota launched the Mirai in 2014, the cumulative quantity of gasoline cell passenger automobiles numbers roughly 4,200 offered, in keeping with an October 2022 report from consulting agency Work together Evaluation. In South Korea, gross sales of gasoline cell passenger automobiles such because the Hyundai Nexo tallied about 8,500 in 2021.
Hofmann is hopeful the brand new Inflation Discount Act will speed up gasoline cell car adoption within the U.S.
The invoice permits roughly $374 billion in local weather and vitality spending, reminiscent of expanded tax credit for renewable vitality initiatives.
The IRA “provides a number of funding in sustainability and likewise in hydrogen expertise,” Hofmann mentioned. “We’re satisfied now the race is beginning.”