Two of the largest players in automotive manufacturing will push ahead with investment in hydrogen, hoping to make the alternative fuel cheaper and more accessible.
BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corporation have plans to offer more Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) options to customers.
The companies hope to bring a new powertrain technology to the game with the advancement of the hydrogen economy.
The OEMs see hydrogen is seen as a promising energy carrier for global decarbonisation in the future. It acts as an effective storage medium for renewable energy sources, enabling a more stable and reliable integration of renewables into the energy grid.
Slow start
Although the Australian car parc has seen modest changes with the growing EV fleet, it is unlikely collision repairers will see hydrogen vehicles rolling into their workshops en masse in the near future.
So far, the alternative power source is in its infancy stages in Australia. FCASI figures show of the 830,000 new vehicles sold in 2024 so far, only nine have been hydrogen powered.
As a still-growing technology, the hydrogen cars currently available in Australia are the Toyota Mirai, and the Hyundai Nexo, with 12 refuelling stations in Australia. BMW Group, and Toyota Motor Corporation hope to expand this.
Partnership for the future
In a press statement released from BMW Group, it states both BMW and Toyota share the aspiration in bringing hydrogen mobility one step closer to a consistent reality.
They aim to push hydrogen fuel technology to the next level, promoting their best efforts in advancing hydrogen fuel cell technology in order to provide a range of mobility solutions for the future.
Toyota Motor Corporation’s President of the Board of Management Koji Sato says, “We are pleased that the collaboration between BMW and Toyota has entered a new stage. In our long history of partnership, we have confirmed that BMW and Toyota share the same passion for cars and belief in ‘technology openness’ and a ‘multi-pathway’ approach to carbon neutrality.”
The companies plan to maintain their distinct brand identities, but the result of this collaboration will be utilised in models from both companies and will expand the range of FCEV options that are available to customers.
After their successful testing of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet worldwide, the BMW group is preparing for a series production of FCEV vehicles, with production models integrated into their pre-existing portfolio, essentially meaning that BMW will offer existing models in a hydrogen fuel cell drive system variant, as well as planning to launch their first FCEV in 2028, offering customers an all-electric option with zero local emissions.
Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW Group Oliver Zipse highlighted the broader achievement for the automotive history, including working on the first-ever series production fuel cell vehicle to be on offer by a global premium manufacturer.
“It will herald an era of significant demand for fuel cell electric vehicles.”