Hydrogen still on the cards for BMW
BMW has been placing a lot of its resources in the development of alternative and has confirmed the Hydrogen is still on the cards for the German manufacturer.
Offering combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and fully electric options to their customers showcases the steps taken and BMW’s commitment to emission-free mobility. Adding the Hydrogen fuel cell option to the list will appeal to a different type of customer with different needs. Below is a short video explaining where the Hydrogen options will be placed in the market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmSXAbkvoE8&feature=youtu.be
“We are convinced that various alternative powertrain systems will exist alongside one another in future, as there is no single solution that addresses the full spectrum of customers’ mobility requirements worldwide. The hydrogen fuel cell technology could quite feasibly become the fourth pillar of our powertrain portfolio in the long term. The upper-end models in our extremely popular X family would make particularly suitable candidates here,” Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Research and Development.
Although working with the Toyota Motor Corporation on fuel cell technology since 2013, the new technology won’t be coming to a production vehicle soon. This is a result of the right framework conditions not yet being place.
“In our view, hydrogen as energy carrier must first be produced in sufficient quantities at a competitive price using green electricity. Hydrogen will then be used primarily in applications that cannot be directly electrified, such as long-distance heavy-duty transport,” added Klaus Fröhlich.
One of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers committed to hydrogen technology is the lack of filling stations accessible by the public. While this network continues to grow, BMW is focused to continuously develop the technology to reduce the cost of manufacturing and making it financially viable to its customers. In the interim, customers already have the option of battery electric vehicles and an additional 25 models are planned to launch before 2023 with at least twelve with an all-electric powertrain.
“The fuel cell system for the powertrain for the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT generates up to 125 kW of electric energy from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen from the ambient air. This guarantees a long-range regardless of the weather conditions and refuelling only takes three to four minutes.” Jürgen Guldner, Vice President of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects at the BMW Group.
The peak power battery receives charge from both the electric converter located underneath the fuel cell and brake energy. The reaction in between the ambient air and the hydrogen is converted into the electricity needed to charge the battery and emits nothing but water vapour. The six kilograms of hydrogen is stored in two 700 bar tanks.
The fifth-generation eDrive unit which will first be showcased in the BMW iX3 is also featuring in the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT. The combination of this eDrive system paired with the peak power battery situated above the electric motor produces 275 kW and will result in the familiar driving dynamics associated with BMW vehicles. The first vehicle to feature the hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain is the current BMW X5 but only in small numbers. BMW hopes to introduce the technology as early as the second half of this decade but is still dependent on global market conditions and requirements.
The collaboration with Toyota which started in 2013, will continue as both manufacturers are working on scalable and modular components for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to reach the industrialisation stages and offer fuel cell technology to the mass market. The BMW Group and Toyota are also founding members of the Hydrogen Council which have seen many companies in the energy, transport and industrial sectors joining since 2017 and currently are made up of over 80 members.
BMW AG is also in alliance with Munich University of Applied Sciences, Leichtbauzentrum Sachsen GmbH, the Technical University of Dresden and WELA Handelsgesellschaft mbH with a project called BRYSON (a German acronym for ‘space-efficient hydrogen storage tanks with optimised usability’). The key focus of this project is to further develop high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks which should also be easily integrated into future universal vehicle architectures. The project will run over three-and-a-half years and will receive funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The result of this project could see the reduction of production costs of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
