If you still believe that hydrogen is only a fashion phenomenon that turns around, we have news for you. BMW is still determined to launch its first production car for fuel cells in 2028. To achieve it, it strengthens its relationship with Toyota. The world’s largest car manufacturer also believes that hydrogen has a future in the automotive industry. In the meantime, the German luxury brand is testing the technology in two zero emission trucks.
The BMW Group Logistics operates a few Iveco S-Eway fuel cell trucks in Germany. The test run will include travel between Leipzig, Landsberg and Nuremberg. Two hydrogen tank stations are under construction, one in Leipzig and the other in Hormersdorf. The new facilities ensure a smooth operation between travel. The big rigs will quickly refuel, with large amounts of hydrogen being fed into their tanks.
This may be a surprise, but there are five hydrogen fuel stations for the reasons of the Leipzig factory. There, more than 200 forklift and tractor trains are operated for internal system logistics. Funny fact: Germany’s first hydrocarbon station in the interior was inaugurated in the BMW in 2013. From 2026, the Regensburg plant will also start with hydrogen driven tractors and forklift trucks.
The new hydrogen trucks from BMW are part of a wider fleet of 16 large hydrogen -rigs, which are financed by the Clean Hydrogen partnership. The H2HAUS project aims to test fuel drive lines in a real environment instead of in an artificial scenario that is simulated in a laboratory. The fuel cells are tested in several European countries.
The lessons learned during the test run will help BMW “to develop the technology to market the maturity and to pave the way for a comprehensive introduction to the street freight sector”. The first BMW hydrogen vehicle sold to customers will probably be based on the next generation X5. The “G65” will be the first model of the company, which offers petrol and diesel engines, plug-in hybrid drive drive, a battery-operated EV and a hydrogen variant. The current X5 “G05” has already been used for a pilot program of IX5 fuel cells test vehicles, but these are not for sale.
