- BMW will launch its first manufacturing hydrogen-powered Gasoline Cell EV in 2028
- It stays bullish on the prospect of hydrogen regardless of a crumbling infrastructure within the U.S.
- Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai have all additionally invested in their very own hydrogen future
BMW has been exploring hydrogen drivetrains for a while—since 1979, consider it or not. It is really constructed ideas from seven completely different fashions over the spam of 45 years. However in that point, it by no means introduced plans to place any hydrogen-powered vehicles into manufacturing regardless of some opponents launching fashions of their very own. Till now, that’s.
The German automaker has tapped Toyota for some assist in getting ready to launch its first hydrogen-powered manufacturing automobile that folks can really purchase.
BMW says that with the assistance of Toyota, the model will launch its very first hydrogen-powered Gasoline Cell EV (FCEV) in 2028. Toyota will present its third-generation hydrogen gasoline cell for the manufacturing automobile—that is the identical stack Toyota confirmed off in its hydrogen-powered Hilux idea late final yr.
The automaker did not reveal the total particulars about its upcoming FCEV, nevertheless, it did word that the automobile can be an current mannequin with a hydrogen gasoline cell drivetrain choice added on.
It is most likely a very good time to remind you that BMW’s final idea (pictured above) was known as the iX5 Hydrogen. BMW match a hydrogen gasoline cell stack into the automobile and used it along side its fifth-generation eDrive motor—the identical household of drive models discovered within the i4, iX, iX3, and i7.
What you most likely did not know is the gasoline cell within the iX5 Hydrogen was additionally equipped by Toyota. In reality, it is the identical gasoline cell stack within the second-generation Toyota Mirai. And earlier than that, BMW stuffed Toyota’s first-generation stack right into a 5-Sequence Gran Turismo.
The model has traditionally been fairly optimistic about hydrogen. Like hybrids, it sees Gasoline Cell EVs as one other resolution it may possibly use to inexperienced its lineup. That is why BMW has been stress-testing the tech within the iX5 Hydrogen for a number of years now in preparation to launch the manufacturing model of its FCEV.
The model even constructed its Neue Klasses structure (which is changing the present Cluster Structure) to be forward-looking. When fitted with a hydrogen stack, vehicles constructed on BMW’s next-gen underpinnings will have the ability to match its hydrogen tanks in the identical house usually occupied by batteries. The house would permit for smaller tanks organized in several configurations to help automobiles of various sizes and packaging.
Likewise, BMW’s plant in Munich is reportedly constructed to accommodate hydrogen on the manufacturing line, signaling that the automaker has been placing fairly a little bit of thought into hydrogen for fairly a while.
With that being mentioned, it is exhausting to disregard hydrogen’s rocky existence within the U.S.
California’s Hydrogen Freeway is not what it was only a few months in the past. Station house owners are leaping ship as EVs take maintain and house owners of key fashions just like the Toyota Mirari simply aren’t feeling the love anymore.
Proudly owning a hydrogen automobile in California is a fairly polarizing expertise, particularly when touring. In a current article, house owners shared particulars of a crumbling hydrogen dream within the States. The various issues they skilled weren’t simply associated to their automobile—they have been additionally targeted on the poor state of the supporting infrastructure. With the key out, it is stunning to see automakers proceed investing in hydrogen-powered vehicles, however not publicly boast about propping up the infrastructure.
“[T]he person expertise of proudly owning a hydrogen automobile is, to place it mildly, not so good,” mentioned California State Senator Josh Newman, who drives a Toyota Mirai, in a Reddit publish. He later continued: “[I]t’s not as a result of vehicles themselves. They’re superior. It’s the refueling. The truth is the state of H2 refueling in California is, in a phrase, abysmal.”
The present state of issues hasn’t saved different automakers from investing in hydrogen both. For instance, Honda shocked the world when it launched the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV—a mouthful to say, I do know. Hyundai has additionally confirmed itself to be bullish on Hydrogen. Not solely is the model persevering with to develop the tech for its personal vehicles, but it surely’s additionally specializing in transitioning the world into what it calls a “hydrogen society” the place gasoline cell stacks are used to energy trains and vehicles, or be used as cellular mills.
Toyota is probably going one of the best associate that BMW might have seemed to for this launch. The Japanese automaker has been working to good the hydrogen gasoline cell for 3 many years and really has two generations of the Mirari below its belt. Toyota can be anticipating Europe to proceed to develop as a hydrogen hotspot, so help for the undertaking regardless of an underdeveloped refueling community reveals confidence from each manufacturers.
One factor that is not instantly clear is whether or not or not BMW will even contemplate launching the mannequin within the States. Each Europe and Japan have a extra developed hydrogen refueling infrastructure than the U.S., for instance, so it is potential that the automaker might goal these markets as an alternative.
Will it succeed? We’ll have to attend till after it launches in 2028 to seek out out.
