BMW and Toyota will continue to cooperate to promote hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

BMW and Toyota are about to confirm once again their intention to collaborate on the joint development of the technology needed to further promote hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. At least, that is what Japanese media claim, according to which both companies could sign a memorandum of understanding next week with this goal.

This alliance, which has been in operation since 2012, was renewed last year, and there is now speculation about a further expansion that would allow Toyota to supply BMW not only with fuel cells, but also with other key components such as hydrogen tanks and complete hydrogen fuel cell systems.

BMW is one of the few manufacturers, together with Toyota and Hyundai, that has been developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for years, but until now it has focused solely on integrating these systems into its vehicles, leaving the production of the fuel cells for its vehicles to Toyota. This new agreement could mean a significant further reduction in development costs for BMW, by fully leveraging Toyota’s system.

In addition, the collaboration could extend to the hydrogen supply infrastructure in Europe, where hydrogen refuelling stations are currently far scarcer than charging stations for electric vehicles.

Will we see new BMW models with hydrogen fuel cells?

Until now, BMW has limited its presence in the hydrogen market to a demonstration fleet of the iX5 Hydrogen. However, rumour has it that the new generation of the X6 and X7 could offer hydrogen fuel cell versions from 2027. It is also not out of the question that even the Neue Klasse of the Bavarian firm, which is yet to arrive, could implement this technology in versions of some of its models.

Despite the progress achieved through the collaboration between the two manufacturers, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles still pose a considerable challenge, mainly because of their high cost, to which must be added the shortage of refuelling infrastructure. Nor should we overlook the high current price of hydrogen per kg, which makes the cost per 100 km travelled prohibitive.

The Bavarian firm plans to start series production of the iX5 Hydrogen before the end of the decade, although it has not yet revealed the price of this vehicle. The collaboration between BMW and Toyota could be a crucial step towards the commercial viability of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but its real impact on the market and mass adoption will depend on many factors, among which are precisely the reduction of costs and the expansion of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.