The future of BMW it’s not just about electricity. In fact, the car manufacturer is also looking with interest at hydrogen and, in particular, at fuel cell. More recently, the German manufacturer has launched the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, a fuel cell version of its X5 SUV, on the road to showcase the technology’s potential. The goal is to understand, based on people’s feedback, whether there is interest in using a fuel cell.
And to confirm that new models equipped with this technology may debut in the near future, some statements come from Jurgen Guldner, general manager of the hydrogen technology program at BMW. The German brand is reportedly working to make the new Neue Klasse platform compatible with fuel cell systems.
As we know, this new platform will arrive in 2025 and was specially designed for electric vehicles. Apparently, this platform will also be able to accommodate fuel cell systems.
We are working on being able to integrate hydrogen. Not from 2025 and probably only in larger vehicles. We haven’t finished the project yet, but it’s possible.
Thus, according to the manager of the German brand, BMW can produce new Fuel Cell models on the new platform, even if these vehicles arrive well after 2025, when the first Neue Klasse-based cars debut.
Since BMW it starts from scratch With the new Neue Klasse platform, it is more convenient for the German brand to immediately make the new platform compatible with the fuel cell. Thus, if the manufacturer really manages to develop new models equipped with this technology, he will be able to have a ready-made platform and not have to modify it for new use.
The manager then explained that a new approach to integrating hydrogen tanks into cars is being explored.
The tank system in the iX5 Hydrogen is quite large and located right in the center of the car. The idea is to place smaller tanks next to each other, which take up the space of an electric car’s battery pack.
Guldner has great confidence in the fuel cell project, calling it the most exciting project he has worked on in his 25 years at BMW.
Source: HD Motori
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.