BMW could design its next-generation EV platform to accommodate hydrogen fuel cell powertrains as well.
According to the report of Automotive NewsBMW President Oliver Zipse raised this issue during the automaker’s recent semiannual earnings call, saying that fuel cell vehicles will be needed to achieve electrification. by BMW. BMW is aiming half of global sales by volume electricity by 2030.
Zipse calls hydrogen “the missing piece that can supplement electromobility in places where a battery-electric powertrain cannot achieve traction.” However, he did not provide details on how far BMW is developing the Neue Klasse fuel cell model.
BMW’s Hydrogen iX5 Prototype
The Neue Klasse platform itself (German for “New Class”) will support a group of battery-electric models scheduled for launch in 2025. The name is a sign of the original Neue Klasse. First, a family of models, starting with 1500 sedans. , effectively saved BMW in the 1960s and established the automaker’s modern identity.
BMW has suggested that the electric Neue Klasse models will include a sedan and SUV sized to the current 3-Series and X3 respectively. That makes them a potential rival to the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.
This plan would effectively separate the 3-Series — which includes the related body styles now known as the 4-Series — into two platforms from 2025 onwards: an internal combustion platform and a platform. run electricity. Zipse said that all EVs are based on dedicated platforms Looks alikeso expect these models to also stand out in terms of design.
BMW’s Hydrogen iX5 Prototype
Adapting the Neue Klasse platform for fuel cells may not be straightforward. Hydrogen needs to be stored in cylindrical tanks, so it presents greater packaging challenges than batteries.
BMW is still ready for its iX5, which combines a Toyota fuel cell stack with BMW’s fifth-generation electric drive technology in the body of the X5 SUV. First seen at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, it is expected to go on sale in very limited quantities and may not make it to the United States.
German rival Mercedes-Benz chose not to carry F-Cell hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to the United States, as originally planned. Like the iX5, the F-Cell is based on an existing SUV, in this case the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. Mercedes has shifted its fuel cell development resources from passenger cars to commercial vehicles.
