BMW and Toyota officially announced that they'll be teaming up to produce an all-new hydrogenfuel-cell electric vehicle by 2028. The announcement arrives after BMW teased some of its research and developmental processes with an X5-based test mule, called the iX5, on the social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). There, the Bavarian automaker published a short video clip showcasing how quickly the iX5 can be refueled with compressed liquid hydrogen, highlighting its quick refilling times as a potential solution to long, inconvenient recharging times of today's EVs.
It's a precursor to what's expected to arrive in the coming years from the new partnership. The statement also legitimizes the agreement between both automakers, all to further research, develop, and produce hydrogen fuel-cell technology in the relentless pursuit of zero-emissions vehicles powered by renewable, clean energy.
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BMW And Toyota Partner Up To Hydrogenate The Auto Industry
Toyota and BMW are partnering in an attempt to accelerate the production and adoption of hydrogen cars across the globe.
Hydrogen Still Offers Potential For Zero-Emissions Vehicles Powered By Renewable Clean Energy
Electric vehicles may have proven themselves as solid alternatives to conventional internal combustion engine-powered vehicles that rely on refined dead dinosaur juice to run. However, demand sharply declined after consumers realized that the problems and challenges with EVs still remain, despite being proven concepts as cars. Because of this significant drop in demand, automakers were forced to backtrack on their electric vehicle initiatives and find better alternatives for the near-future and long-term future. And one of those alternatives remains to be hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion.
EVs work as cars and there's no doubt about that. But they are still hindered by long, inconvenient charging times, inconsistent and problematic charging infrastructure, limited driving range. Additionally, overall driving range is still rather extremely volatile, being largely affected by external factors such as driving style, onboard weight, and ambient temperatures.
Hydrogen, however, is a prospect that still offers promise as it's the most abundant element in the universe and when it's combusted, or oxidized, its byproduct is water. So when a fuel-cell burns liquid hydrogen, the only emissions it produces out of its tailpipe is water. Additionally, because hydrogen is compressed to liquid form, it's quickly refillable like a traditional tank of gasoline or diesel. So, there's no long charging times or lingering fears of broken charger stations leaving you stranded.
In theory, it all sounds wonderful, offering the sort of emissions-free and environmentally friendly way of getting around without having to make too much of an adjustment. But there are still some major challenges. The first being that liquid hydrogen is extremely difficult and expensive to produce, and that's because today's processes for producing liquid, pure hydrogen, require more energy to produce it than users get out of it, making it incredibly inefficient from an energy conversion perspective, and by cost. Though this is continuously changing and evolving as storage and extraction technology improves and advances.
Additionally, hydrogen is outstandingly unstable by itself and thus, it requires high amounts of energy to store it and keep it stable at either subzero temperatures or under great amounts of pressure. Because of its overall volatility and extreme flammability, it can also be very dangerous if any of its storage or production apparatuses are compromised.
Both Companies Bring Plenty Of Hydrogen Experience To The Table
This isn't the first time BMW or Toyota have experimented with hydrogen propulsion, proving that it could work with the right technology. BMW has a long and storied history of experimenting with hydrogen, specifically with its very unique hydrogen combustion engines from the 1990s, which gave birth to the E38 7 Series-based 750hL and later, the BMW Hydrogen 7 based off the succeeding generation of E65 7 Series in the 2000s. However, unlike Toyota, none of BMW's concepts went into large-scale production, being offered in extremely limited numbers and only to specifically chosen, high-profile clientele.
Toyota on the other hand is one of the few automakers who produced production-ready hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, mainly with the original Highlander-based FCHV in the early 2000s, followed by the Mirai, which the latter went on to become the best-selling hydrogen-powered vehicle ever. Others have tried, particularly Honda with the FCX in 2002, followed by its successor, the FCX Clarity, and Hyundai, who produced a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle based on the second-generation Tucson or ix35, called the ix35 FCEV. Hyundai currently produces the NEXO, which is the company's only hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle currently in production.
In terms of this new vehicle, Toyota will supply the hydrogen storage tank and propulsion system, while BMW will supposedly provide the rest of the vehicle. This would mark the second time that BMW and Toyota collaborated on a production vehicle since the current Supra revival, which shares most of its backbone and powerplant with the BMW Z4.
“We are pleased that the collaboration between BMW and Toyota has entered a new stage. In our long history of partnership, we have confirmed that BMW and Toyota share the same passion for cars and belief in ‘technology openness’ and a ‘multi-pathway’ approach to carbon neutrality," Toyota Motor Corporate's President, Koji Sato, said in the official statement. "Based on these shared values, we will deepen our collaboration in efforts such as the joint development of next-generation fuel cell systems and the expansion of infrastructure, aiming for the realization of a hydrogen society. We will accelerate our efforts together with BMW and partners across various industries to realize a future where hydrogen energy supports society."
