Toyota, BMW Strengthen Partnership on Fuel-Cell Development

BMW and Toyota are doubling down on their cooperation over hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain development just as the wind goes out of the sails of battery-electric vehicles.

Nikkei Asia reports the auto giants are upgrading their partnership in fuel-cell technology with BMW aiming to begin mass production of its own vehicle within a few years.

The pair are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding for the partnership next week and announce it during BMW's media roundtable on Sept. 5.

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles emit only water in use and do not suffer from the range anxiety challenges with BEVs, while being able to refuel in the same time as filling an internal-combustion-vehicle's fuel tank.

However, the technology faces some serious challenges: for the automaker they are expensive to make, currently offering small profit margins; and for infrastructure, hydrogen has to be stored at service stations at temperatures down to -423.4˚ F (-253˚ C) albeit commonly accessible liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is chilled down to -259.6˚ F (-162˚ C).

The two companies have been partners in fuel-cell development since June 2012, with Toyota's role limited to supplying a limited number of components. Now the pair are expected to commit to Toyota supplying BMW with more key components for the vehicles, including hydrogen tanks and fuel cell systems. BMW will then use in-house electric technology, such as drive systems, to manufacture the rest of the vehicle.

As WardsAuto reports, BMW has already developed a concept fuel cell vehicle model, the iX5 Hydrogen, which is equipped with two hydrogen tanks and has a cruising range of more than 310 miles (499 km).

The upgraded alliance is also expected to involve cooperation in the development of hydrogen supply infrastructure in Europe. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Assn., there are only 270 hydrogen filling stations in the whole of Europe, far fewer than 632,000 public BEV charging stations in the European Union as of the end of 2023.