BMW is exhibiting off its first hydrogen-powered iX5 SUVs this yr however nonetheless has some approach to go to make the know-how a viable different to battery-electric automobiles.
The automaker plans to ship round 80 of the SUVs to Europe, Asia, the U.S. and the Center East to be used in check drives and automotive reveals, a part of a drive to supply clients choices exterior of battery automobiles within the electrical shift.
Hydrogen autos are struggling to take off due to excessive prices and a fledgling fueling infrastructure.
“Hydrogen is a flexible vitality supply that has a key function to play within the vitality transition course of and due to this fact in local weather safety,” BMW CEO Oliver Zipse mentioned in a press release.
“One know-how by itself won’t be sufficient to allow climate-neutral mobility.”
That BMW’s check fleet stays small is a mirrored image of the difficulties hydrogen automobiles — a know-how firms have labored on for many years — have been having breaking into the mainstream.
Solely about 60,000 of them are on the roads, with Hyundai’s Nexo the bestseller final yr.
That compares with a fleet of roughly 19 million battery-electric autos, based on BloombergNEF estimates.
Gasoline cell methods nonetheless battle to compete with lithium ion batteries on prices even after the EV trade noticed the primary enhance in pack costs final yr since BNEF started monitoring them in 2010.
Mercedes-Benz has phased out the hydrogen-powered variant of its GLC SUV it in-built small batches.
Whereas Honda stopped manufacturing of its Readability hydrogen mannequin in 2021, it has introduced plans to start out manufacturing of a gasoline cell automobile within the US in 2024.
PHOTO GALLERY: BMW iX5 Hydrogen
BMW is weighing to start out serial manufacturing of hydrogen fashions within the second half of this decade, however any gross sales push is smart solely as soon as ample infrastructure turns into accessible, mentioned Frank Weber, the automaker’s know-how chief.
Simply 750 hydrogen refueling stations have been in operation globally final yr, based on the Pacific Northwest Nationwide Laboratory researcher.
Getting the hydrogen-powered iX5 in entrance of the general public is a technique of highlighting the know-how’s robust factors, BMW mentioned.
Filling up the iX5 with hydrogen takes solely 4 minutes, in contrast with about half-hour for charging probably the most superior battery powered autos.
BMW expects the adoption of hydrogen long-haul vehicles to hurry up installations of refueling stations, in a boon additionally to passenger automobiles. The corporate hopes that the price of gasoline cell parts comes down as soon as hydrogen rigs are produced at scale.
“We’re assured that on the finish of the last decade, costs for an electrical automobile with a bigger battery and gasoline cell automobiles might be on par,” Weber mentioned.
Nonetheless, BMW’s small check fleet suggests the German firm is just not anticipating larger-scale adoption anytime quickly. It’s additionally holding the autos on a good leash: apart from company-organized check drives, the automobiles won’t be handed out to drivers for on a regular basis use.
“Gasoline cell automobiles are at all times going to be costlier than battery powered ones,” mentioned BNEF analyst Martin Tengler.
“Perhaps BMW is focusing on a distinct segment section, there may some cash to be made. However the huge image is that it’s finest to depart hydrogen automobiles the place they’ve at all times been — simply across the nook.”