BMW Unveils Powertrain Of Its Hydrogen Powered Car With 368 HP; To Enter Production In 2022

BMW is embracing the hydrogen fuel cell technology with its X5-based i Hydrogen Next concept. Now providing more information on the upcoming hydrogen-powered vehicle, the German auto maker has revealed its plans for the powertrain that will be used in the vehicle.

For those unaware, Hydrogen-powered cars are essentially a form of electric vehicle wherein, instead of regular lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cells are used to power the car. The cells produce electricity on the go using a chemical reaction involving Hydrogen and Oxygen. You can understand the complete working of a Hydrogen fuel cell in a Toyota Mirai in the video below.

With the i Hydrogen Next concept, BMW will become one of the handful of automobile companies to embrace the technology. Set to come into production in 2022, the i-Hydrogen Next concept will feature 368 horsepower in total, with the fuel cell being enough to generate around 167 hp on its own.

The Hydrogen-powered BMW will use two Hydrogen tanks for its fuel cell. One of these will be placed in the X5's transmission tunnel while the other will be fitted under the rear seat.

BMW i Hydrogen Next Concept Powertrain (Image: BMW)

A distant dream

While BMW has revealed much information about the i Hydrogen Next concept, it defines a long timeline for the car to reach its showrooms. It plans to be ready with the vehicle by 2022 but considering it does not want to sell it to private customers, it will likely bring the vehicle to its dealerships earliest by 2025.

For the development of the vehicle, BMW is working with Toyota, which already has mastered the hydrogen fuel cell technology. The reason BMW is pursuing the technology is that it wants its customers to have a plethora of engine options within the brand offerings.

BMW i Hydrogen Next Concept (Image: BMW)

So even though its focus is on battery electric vehicles, having a Hydrogen-run car in its portfolio will help the company build a wider presence in the future of personal mobility. As Klaus Froehlich, head of R&D at BMW puts it, ¡°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.¡± He concludes, ¡°The hydrogen fuel cell technology could quite feasibly become the fourth pillar of our powertrain portfolio in the long term.¡±