BMW's Hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains could be a 'no cost option'

The German carmaker is currently running a pilot production run of its iX5 Hydrogen prototype

According to a media report, BMW could offer hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains as a 'no-cost option' across its electric car range from 2035.

As per reports, a new compact hydrogen fuel tank technology allows the German carmaker to package hydrogen storage in vehicle platforms designed for both energy sources. Suppliers of BMW have been hard at work producing a number of small tanks which can be positioned in multiple areas within the chassis otherwise used for battery storage. While retaining the same chassis strength, the small tanks will replace the two large hydrogen storage tanks as seen on the current iX5 Hydrogen prototype. In total, the smaller tanks will even be able to store the same 6kg of hydrogen as the current version.

The new storage technique, combined with the fact that FCEVs are much cheaper to recycle compared to BEVs, allows BMW the possibility of offering fuel cell power as an alternative for almost the same price.

The first BMW fuel-cell powered EV will be a variant of the iX electric SUV. The German carmaker is currently running a pilot production run of its iX5 Hydrogen prototype, with series production expected to start sometime before 2030.

Source: AutoExpress