Hydrogen car set for 2028

BMW is aiming to launch its first hydrogen-powered vehicle in 2028. It is being developed using technology from Toyota, which will help the German premium marque keep costs down.

The company has been widely testing the iX5 Hydrogen for some time. It has a range of 500km that can refuelled in three to four minutes via Europe’s limited hydrogen fuelling infrastructure.

BMW says its hydrogen vehicle would be an existing model with a fuel cell without giving further details, including price or production volume.

Chief executive officer Oliver Zipse says the car will “highlight how technological progress is shaping the mobility of the future”.

Its partnership with Toyota will allow the two companies to reduce costs and develop a passenger car drive unit with technology that will also have applications for commercial vehicles.

BMW is developing fuel-cell prototypes alongside battery ones to hedge its bets depending on which technology becomes dominant. It’s assuming charging infrastructure will have developed significantly by 2028 to accommodate its plans.