BMW: over 40 years of experience in hydrogen

In a post on LinkedIn, the German carmaker points out that it has been working on the subject since 1979. Like Toyota, it is a pioneer and intends to make the technology more accessible.

Everyone has heard of the Hydrogen 7 Series. What is less well known is that the very first hydrogen-powered BMW dates back to 1979. It was a BMW 520 whose combustion engine was adapted to run on liquid hydrogen. This anecdote is also reported on this page dedicated to hydrogen on the BMW website. 

However, it was not until the early 2000s that BMW launched a fleet of hydrogen-converted 7 Series. They could run on both petrol and liquid hydrogen. The cars toured the world. 

However, BMW decided to abandon the H2 engine and turned to the fuel cell instead. It entered into a partnership with Toyota in 2012 and presented a hydrogen-powered 535 two years later, in 2014. A car that retains its sporting qualities while emitting zero emissions. Since August 2022, the Group (which invests more than €7 billion a year in R&D) has been developing its second generation of fuel cells, with twice the continuous power of its predecessor. A year later, BMW introduced the technology in the iX5 Hydrogen, with a pilot fleet being tested around the world.

The brand, which said it was aiming for a possible market launch in the second half of the decade, has now made up its mind. Following the joint announcement with Toyota, the aim is to release production vehicles in 2028.

Do you want to find out more about the experience of BMW in hydrogen? You can access all our articles written about the German group here.

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King