BMW Plans Hydrogen Vehicle In Collaboration With Toyota

BMW has confirmed that it will introduce a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle in 2028.

To do so, the company is expanding its collaboration with Toyota, a long-time advocate of hydrogen technology. While Toyota has been selling the hydrogen-powered Mirai for nearly a decade, this will mark the first time BMW will offer a hydrogen vehicle to consumers since the BMW Hydrogen 7 went out of production nearly 20 years ago.

BMW has not released specific details about the upcoming model, which is still several years away. However, it has been confirmed that the vehicle will be based on an existing product. The current hydrogen project from BMW is based on the X5, though by the time the hydrogen vehicle launches in 2028, this model will likely have moved to its next generation. Despite its ties to Toyota through their collaboration, BMW emphasizes that this hydrogen vehicle will not simply be a reworked Toyota model but will remain true to BMW's identity.

The current iX5 Hydrogen is part of a small test fleet of fewer than 100 units. These vehicles are built in Spartanburg and modified at a pilot facility in Munich. The 396-horsepower iX5 Hydrogen is equipped with two hydrogen tanks made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, giving it a range of approximately 313 miles on the WLTP cycle. Refueling the vehicle takes around three to four minutes, similar to a conventional gas or diesel vehicle. The fuel cells used in this project are supplied by Toyota.

There are reports that the upcoming hydrogen-powered BMW could be based on the same CLAR platform used for gas, diesel, and plug-in hybrid versions of the X5. The next generation of the X5 is expected to enter production in 2026, possibly including battery-electric versions as well. While BMW’s Neue Klasse platform, designed for electric vehicles, is in development with hydrogen capabilities in mind, it appears that the initial hydrogen efforts will rely on the CLAR architecture.

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