Check Out the New BMW i Hydrogen NEXT Powertrain
BMW is developing the i Hydrogen NEXT with Toyota Motor Corporation. These are the first technical details.
Developing alternative powertrain technologies is a top priority for the BMW Group. The premium carmaker offers first virtual insights into the powertrain system for the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT and reaffirms its commitment to following a carefully considered and systematic route to emission-free mobility. This approach also includes the careful consideration of differing market and customer requirements as part of the company’s Power of Choice strategy. Customer centricity and the flexibility needed for this are essential in facilitating the breakthrough for sustainable mobility on the global stage.
Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Research and Development, said, “We are convinced that various alternative powertrain systems will exist alongside one another in future, as there is no single solution that addresses the full spectrum of customers’ mobility requirements worldwide. The hydrogen fuel cell technology could quite feasibly become the fourth pillar of our powertrain portfolio in the long term. The upper-end models in our extremely popular X family would make particularly suitable candidates here.”
The BMW Group has been working with the Toyota Motor Corporation on fuel cell technology since 2013.
Future Prospects for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
Although the BMW Group has no doubt as to the long-term potential of fuel cell powertrain systems, it will be some time before the company offers its customers a production carpowered by hydrogen fuel cell technology. This is primarily due to the fact that the right framework conditions are not yet in place.
“In our view, hydrogen as energy carrier must first be produced in sufficient quantities at a competitive price using green electricity. Hydrogen will then be used primarily in applications that cannot be directly electrified, such as long-distance heavy duty transport,” said Fröhlich. The requisite infrastructure, such as an extensive, Europe-wide network of hydrogen filling stations, is also lacking at present.
BMW i Hydrogen NEXT Powertrain Technical Details
“The fuel cell system for the powertrain for the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT generates up to 125 kW (170 hp) of electric energy from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen from the ambient air,” explains Jürgen Guldner, Vice President of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects at the BMW Group.
This means the vehicle emits nothing but water vapor. The electric converter located underneath the fuel cell adapts the voltage level to that of both the electric powertrain and the peak power battery, which is fed by brake energy as well as the energy from the fuel cell. The vehicle also accommodates a pair of 700 bar tanks that can together hold six kilograms of hydrogen. “This guarantees a long-range regardless of the weather conditions,” notes Guldner. “And refueling only takes three to four minutes.”
The fifth-generation eDrive unit set to make its debut in the BMW iX3 is also fully integrated into the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT. The peak power battery positioned above the electric motor injects an extra dose of dynamics when overtaking or accelerating.
The total system output of 275 kW (374 hp) fuels the typical driving dynamics for which BMW is renowned. This hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain will be piloted in a small series based on the current BMW X5 that the BMW Group plans to present in 2022. A consumer vehicle won’t be available until the second half of this decade
Collaborating with Toyota
To ensure it is ideally prepared to meet the technological demands of a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle by the second half of this decade, the BMW Group is teaming up with the Toyota Motor Corporation as part of a successful partnership that dates back to 2013. The two manufacturers have joined forces to work on fuel cell powertrain systems and scalable, modular components for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles under a product development cooperation agreement.
BRYSON Research Project
The BMW Group’s participation in the research project BRYSON (a German acronym for ‘space-efficient hydrogen storage tanks with optimized usability’) underlines its faith in the future viability and potential of hydrogen fuel cell technology. The project aims to develop tanks with a flat design. Set to run for a period of three-and-a-half years and with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, this project will also help to lower the cost of manufacturing hydrogen tanks for fuel cell vehicles, enabling them to compete effectively with battery electric vehicles.
Photos: BMW