More hydrogen BMWs on the way
BMW seems to attribute a greater role to hydrogen. This is apparent from an interesting statement by none other than BMW CEO Oliver Zipse.
BMW has never lost sight of hydrogen, but the Germans are not as fanatical as, for example, Hyundai and Toyota on cars with a fuel cell. That could very well be very different in the near future. CEO Oliver Zipse says that BMW should reconsider the role that hydrogen can play in fully electric transport.
According to the CEO, hydrogen is “the missing piece in the puzzle of electric transport.” BMW mainly envisages a role for hydrogen in areas where regular electric cars are not yet getting off the ground. Earlier this year, BMW indicated that hydrogen is only interesting for SUVs, but the brand seems to be returning to that somewhat.
At the end of this year, BMW will start production of an electrically powered X5 with a fuel cell on board. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is being built in a small series, but Zipse indicates that the brand is already looking ahead. According to the CEO, BMW is already thinking about a successor to that model. In addition, the CEO also foresees the arrival of electric cars on the Neue Class platform with a fuel cell on board.
BMW and hydrogen
Incidentally, the iX5 Hydrogen is not the first hydrogen BMW. As early as 2005, BMW introduced the Hydrogen 7, a prototype of a then current 7-series (E65) with the 6.0 V12 of the 760i. That twelve-cylinder liked both petrol and hydrogen and was therefore a hydrogen car of a completely different kind than the iX5 Hydrogen. BMW has also hooked up with Toyota for the iX5 Hydrogen, which already has quite a bit of experience in the hydrogen country with the Mirai and various other projects.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl