BMW bets on several horses. At the end of 2022, the brand will launch the i Hydrogen Next, an EV with a fuel cell. The hydrogen car should eventually serve as an extra option in addition to battery-electric powertrains. In any case, there is no shortage of power.
Unlike the iX, the i Hydrogen Next does not have a striking, extravagant design. The hydrogen car was developed on the basis of the X5 and seems to hardly deviate from the SUV in terms of design. BMW is currently testing the model on the road, with the technicians mainly focusing on fine-tuning the software. BMW collaborated with Toyota for the development of the i Hydrogen Next. The cells in the fuel cell are sourced from Japan, while the fuel cell housing and the rest of the powertrain are developed by BMW itself. This collaboration between BMW and Toyota was already established in 2013.
BMW i Hydrogen NEXT
BMW’s own sauce ensures that the i Hydrogen Next has a power of 374 hp. That is considerably more than the 174 hp of the second generation Toyota Mirai. The extra power is partly due to the ‘performance buffer battery’, which stores electricity from the fuel cell and via regenerative braking in order to be able to supply more power for a short time. The fuel cell itself does provide an electrical output equivalent to 170 hp. Thanks to two hydrogen tanks, the i Hydrogen Next can carry 6 kilograms of hydrogen. It can be refueled in three to four minutes. BMW does not yet state how far the SUV will get on its hydrogen stock. The manufacturer speaks of ‘several hundred kilometers in all weather conditions’.
At the end of 2022, the i Hydrogen Next should go into production in a small edition. It seems that BMW follows the same recipe with the design as with the iX3, in that case it is a subtly modified X5. It is not yet known how much the SUV will cost.
Flashing light relationship
The bond between BMW and hydrogen can safely be described as a flashing light relationship. In 2006, the brand already came up with the Hydrogen 7, which was eventually produced in a limited series. The Hydrogen 7 was a special case, especially since the limousine had a V12 that ran on both petrol and hydrogen. That turned out not to be such a great success after all. In 2009 Munich stopped testing hydrogen-powered cars entirely, only to open the door a crack again in 2015. Audi today uses a clearer line when it comes to hydrogen.
Development boss Frank Weber currently sees a valuable addition for the future, especially for people who regularly drive long distances and have less access to charging points. “Fuel cell technology can be an interesting option, especially in larger vehicles, when it comes to sustainable powertrains,” he says. “That’s why testing near-standard cars with a hydrogen powertrain is an important milestone in our research and development efforts.”