The next big things by BMW s powertrain guru

BY 2020 BMW will have a fully operational hydrogen powertrain ready for production, and soon Germany and Japan will have the infrastructure to make it viable… > ‘People often ask why BMW stopped developing hydrogen technology, but we never did; we have been working on it constantly for 30 years. Small-to-mediumsized battery-electric vehicles are ideal for urban use, and plug-in hybrids can be used across the range to cover all driving conditions. Hydrogen offers zero emissions and very high levels of energy storage, so it’s ideal for longer ranges of up to 700km and larger vehicles. Eventually, fuel-cells will be cheaper than battery-electric vehicles. > The need for hydrogen is not only driven by zero-emissions vehicles, it’s essential so we can store renewable energy. After Fukushima, Germany decided to phase out nuclear power, and has a renewable-energy target of 50 per cent 2030. This will result in fluctuating energy supply, but we can capture this energy and store it as liquid hydrogen. It will be an electricity buffer for Germany, and ideal as a vehicle fuel. > BMW has developed a cryogenic hydrogen storage system. 7.1kg of hydrogen stored cryogenically at 350 bar gives up to 700km of range in three-to-four minutes, compared with 4.5kg stored at 700 bar for a range of 450km. Cryogenic hydrogen is stored at -220degC, but the hose is insulated, so you don’t feel the cold. > Europe should look to Asia: Japan and South Korea in particular view hydrogen as the next big technology, it’s a good indicator that you can make a business case. In Germany we have 50 stations, aiming for 400 by 2023; Japan has 100 stations, with 800 planned for 2025. Asia will be a driving force for hydrogen storage. > We are collaborating with Toyota to accelerate development, share expertise and cut costs, and it’s important for international standardisation: there are too many connectors for battery-electric cars, and it’s confusing for the consumer. In the prototype hydrogen fuel-cell 5 Series GT, the fuel cell is from Toyota, the fuel-cell housing from BMW, fuel-cell auxiliaries from both companies, and the hydrogen tank, electric drive and high-voltage battery from BMW. At the moment it is about 100kg heavier than a normal 5GT, but we are at the very beginning, and we expect substantial savings. > There’s no decision on a production vehicle, but we want our components to be productionready by 2020. The total switchover from combustion engine to fuel cell is 20 years away, minimum.’