BMW begins testing hydrogen car

BMW has begun testing a near-production version of a prototype hydrogen-powered car.

The BMW i Hydrogen Next is a pure-electric vehicle which converts hydrogen into electricity using a fuel-cell co-developed with Toyota. The small-series model, based on the X5, is expected to be delivered late 2022.

The drive system in the Next combines hydrogen fuel-cell technology with fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology – already found in the BMW iX3 and in the upcoming BMW iX and BMW i4 – to produce a combined output of 275 kW which is equal to that of the six-cylinder in-line petrol engine currently used in BMW models.

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“Hydrogen fuel cell technology can be an attractive option for sustainable drive trains – especially in larger vehicle classes,” said Frank Weber, member of the board of management at BMW AG.

“That is why road testing of near-standard vehicles with a hydrogen fuel-cell drive train is an important milestone in our research and development efforts.”

Like the fuel tank of a conventional combustion-engine model, the hydrogen tank of the BMW i Hydrogen Next can also be filled just a few minutes and has a claimed driving range of several hundred kilometres.

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While the prototype’s individual cells come from Toyota, its fuel-cell stack and complete drive system are original to the BMW Group.

The German carmaker has been putting the hydrogen car through its paces on European roads in order to examine how well the CO2-free drivetrain, model-specific chassis technology and vehicle electronics systems work together under real-life conditions.

BMW says it is now fine-tuning the software which controls driving and operating functions.

The fuel-cell system, hydrogen tanks, performance buffer battery and central vehicle control unit have all previously been tested individually and together in hundreds practise runs.