With 45 years of experience in hydrogen and more than 20 in fuel-cell technology, the BMW Group is a pioneer in alternative drive technologies. As the energy transition continues, hydrogen has tremendous potential as a fuel of the future. Storable and transportable, it can be used in all kinds of ways. So, alongside electrical battery power, sustainably sourced hydrogen offers a further potential technology for sustainable individual mobility. That’s why the BMW Group is advocating not just for a better-developed charging grid but for an infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations as well.

After successfully testing the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet worldwide, the BMW Group is now preparing for series production of vehicles with hydrogen drive systems in 2028 on the basis of the jointly developed next-generation powertrain technology. The series production models will be integrated into BMW’s existing portfolio, i.e. BMW will offer an existing model in an additional hydrogen fuel cell drive system variant. As FCEV technology is another electric vehicle technology, the BMW Group explicitly views it as complementing the drive technology used by battery electric vehicles (BEV) and next to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and internal combustion engines (ICE). 

Since 2023 the BMW iX5 Hydrogen has been out on the road in various parts of the world to demonstrate the technology and test it in different weathers and terrains. Hot-weather tests have exposed the vehicles to temperatures of up to 45°C as well as sand, dust, various inclines and fluctuating levels of humidity – and they performed impressively throughout.

Hydrogen technology has also proven suitable for everyday use in extreme sub-zero temperatures, the fuel-cell drive performing just as well as a conventional combustion engine. Full system output is available within moments of the car starting, and not even the coldest conditions are enough to compromise range.

The pilot fleet is still on the road in Europe, Japan, Korea, China, the US, and the Middle East. Through the pilot fleet, the BMW Group gained essential insights for further development of the fuel cell technology, but already demonstrated the everyday usability of hydrogen-powered mobility. 

Hydrogen technology is a new and fascinating area within the field of drive technology and combines the best of both worlds: the advantages of electric driving and zero emissions, with the added benefit of fast refuelling like conventional vehicles. This section tells you more about key details and the components that will drive future mobility – from the fundamentals through to the refuelling infrastructure.