BMW: Hydrogen as a sensible second rail 🎥
FUTURE Fuel cell electric cars are not intended to compete with battery electric models, but rather as a necessary complement and alternative for a clientele with specific needs.
Those who rely on short refueling stops, high ranges or large towing capacities will usually not find a suitable model among the purely battery electric vehicles (BEV). A fuel cell electric car can also be the sensible solution in regions where there is insufficient charging infrastructure.
Following in the footsteps of the Asian pioneers Hyundai Nexo, Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity, BMW will in future also be focusing consistently on hydrogen and fuel cells in the passenger car sector. The iX5 Hydrogen, which has just been launched, serves as a demonstrator.
High-speed hydrogen SUV in small series production
The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen, which will be produced in a small series of less than 100 units at the Garching plant near Munich from December 2022, is based on the U.S.-built X5. It took developers and testers around four years to get the new powertrain ready for series production - with a new floor assembly and fuel cell stack, power battery, electric motor and two hydrogen tanks.
Although the fuel cells come from Toyota, BMW has incorporated a great deal of in-house development into the assembly and system control of the entire stack. The battery, fuel cell and electric motor generate 295 kW (400 hp) of drive power in the new Hydrogen system. That is easily enough for the driving dynamics expected from the BMW brand.
Small amounts of lithium, cobalt and nickel
One major advantage of the fuel cell drive is the raw material requirement. Since the battery is much smaller than in the BEV, much smaller quantities of lithium, cobalt and nickel are used. Platinum is needed in the fuel cell stack, but in the future this will come in sufficient quantities from the catalytic converter recycling of cars with internal combustion engines.
The powertrain draws its energy from gaseous hydrogen, which is carried in two 700-bar pressure tanks. The approximately six kilograms of hydrogen are enough for about 500 kilometers of pollution-free driving. Only around ten liters of water are emitted over 100 kilometers. This is released into the environment in the form of vapor during the journey. Driving the fuel cell X5 is no different from driving a BEV.
Car ownership becomes a question of wealth
At the presentation of the new hydrogen model, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse warned against committing to a phase-out date for combustion engines. This would displace inexpensive vehicles and car ownership would become a question of wealth.
Oliver Zipse attaches great importance to openness to technology: "The climate target cannot be achieved with just one technology. Fuel cell electric vehicles are an ideal complement to battery models. In addition, synthetic fuels are important to make the large existing fleets more environmentally friendly."
