BMW intends to introduce the second-generation fuel cell technology developed together with Toyota in the BMW X6 and X7. Head of Development Klaus Fröhlich made the announcement in an interview.
Although the BMW manager did not want to reveal details, Fröhlich did disclose that the costs of the third generation FC system are to be reduced by 2025 to such an extent that a “volume of hundreds of thousands” of vehicles is possible. In the interview with Auto News Europe, he says: “At the moment, a fuel cell drive train costs about ten times more than a BEV system. We plan to offset these costs by 2025 with the third generation of our scalable fuel cell system, which could lead to hundreds of thousands of units”.
This is again a clear indication that BMW remains true to its mantra of an open approach to technology, developing battery and fuel cell cars in equal measure. Already at the IAA 2019, the Bavarian company presented the i Hydrogen Next, a fuel cell study based on an X5. According to the developers, the car only had to be slightly modified for fuel cell technology. BMW has not yet provided any information on the technical data of the drive system. In return, BMW boss Oliver Zipse explained at the presentation in September 2019 that a fleet of the i Hydrogen Next should be on the road in 2022. The head of the company left it open as to the scope of the size of the fleet concerned.
