Hydrogen is not dead: BMW with new fuel cell system

Many manufacturers such as VW, Mercedes, Volvo, and Ford have already withdrawn from hydrogen vehicle development. The reasons are obvious: the filling station network is limited, development costs are high. There are few purchasing incentives, resulting in a lack of profitability for automakers. In addition, capacities for purely battery-electric vehicles are expanding rapidly.

Just recently, Stellantis also labeled its hydrogen program a niche segment and put it on hold for the same reasons. But some are still tinkering! BMW , for example, has now begun building prototypes for its third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system. What's more, the prototypes serve as preparation for series production of the tested powertrain. It is scheduled to be used in a yet-to-be-specified vehicle in 2028.

Image by: BMW

The new fuel cell system is approximately 25 percent smaller due to its higher power density. According to the Munich-based company, it will feature a "high degree of integration" with future vehicle architectures. This should increase the number of drive variants in the future.

It's conceivable that the hydrogen drive could be integrated into future models of the New Class, but this hasn't been confirmed yet. It's also unclear which vehicle will first feature the new drive. BMW's second-generation system currently powers a small fleet of X5 prototypes.

If we take this as an indication, the third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system could be used in the next-generation X5 on the CLAR platform, which is expected to hit the market in 2026.

BMW has developed an interface between the battery and the vehicle's other systems – a hydrogen-specific "BMW Energy Master." The standard Energy Master is scheduled to go into production for the first BMW New Class vehicles this year.

Image by: BMW

In addition, the new system is "significantly more efficient" than its predecessor. While BMW didn't provide figures, the third generation is said to offer a longer range, higher performance, and lower energy consumption compared to the second generation.

BMW & Toyota cooperate on hydrogen

The third generation of fuel cells is part of a collaboration between BMW and Toyota . The Japanese, too, are committed to the technology and are diligently developing it. When BMW wanted to build a hydrogen vehicle with the 535iA over a decade ago, the Munich-based company sourced the entire system from the Japanese automaker. With the second generation, BMW took more control and developed the entire system itself, while Toyota continued to supply the fuel cells.

These are precisely what powers the current prototypes. However, fewer than 100 units have been in use since 2023. The second-generation system produces 396 hp in the large SUV. The range according to the WLTP test is approximately 500 kilometers.

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