BMW & Stellantis: A Tale Of Two Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Plans

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BMW practically lit the Intertubes on fire earlier this week when the automaker affirmed that its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle plans are on track for series production. Apparently, the company has spotted a few openings for fuel cell vehicles in the zero emission mobility market, even as others — notably, Stellantis — drop out.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles On The Ropes

A top-of-the-head test puts BEVs out in front on cost, fuel availability, connectivity, and convenience. For fuel cell advocates, the primary advantages, at least for now, are range and refueling time.

Fuel cell passenger cars have struggled to compete against BEVs in the global zero emission auto market, and they have all but died on the vine here in the US. Nevertheless, other markets are not fully closed yet. Commercial fleet vehicles still offer some opportunities. Though, Stellantis is among the automakers giving up the ghost on that score. The company discontinued its fuel cell development program for light duty commercial vehicles in July, citing “limited availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements, and the need for stronger consumer purchasing incentives.”

Stellantis Drops Out, For Now

When Stellantis announced the demise of its fuel cell branch, the company indicated that the decision was a response to mid-term competition in the light-duty commercial vehicle space, where the company had expected to land its new Pro One fuel cell vehicles. However, Stellantis hinted that background fuel cell development will continue in other areas of the company.

Stellantis also stated that it does not “anticipate the adoption of hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles before the end of the decade,” leaving the door open for a fresh round of activity in the 2030s.

“R&D activities related to hydrogen technology will be redirected to other projects,” Stellantis added, while putting plans for Pro One series production on ice for the time being.

BMW Not Done With Fuel Cell Vehicles Yet

BMW has been taking a more cautious approach, which is just as well considering that the company has been focusing like a thousand points of light on the tough-as-nails fuel cell passenger car market. The company began teasing a sedan in earnest all the way back in 2015, with series production projected for 2020.

That was a bit overly optimistic. In a press release earlier this week, BMW noted that it did have a prototype up and running in 2014, consisting of a BMW 535iA sedan outfitted with a hydrogen fuel cell drive system supplied by Toyota.

By 2023, BMW was ready to launch the limited edition BMW iX5 demonstration fleet, featuring a drive system developed in-house by BMW with Toyota continuing to provide the fuel cells.

This week’s big news was the launch of a new, third-generation fuel cell vehicle platform, featuring a powertrain system developed jointly by BMW and Toyota with an eye on series production for commercial applications as well as passenger vehicles.

One New Fuel Cell To Rule Them All

As for why the third generation is ready for prime time, BMW lists three main differences over the previous generation.

First, the new fuel cell system takes up 25% less space. “A considerable increase in power density has enabled a much more compact construction compared to the preceding generation,” BMW explains.

Second, the new platform is adaptable. “This paves the way for a technology-open approach that will make it possible to offer customers a variety of drive system variants in future,” BMW adds.

BMW cites substantial efficiency improvements as the third improvement, due to a focus on upgrading the components of the joint Toyota–BMW drive system along with tweaks to the operating strategies. The result, as described by BMW, is significant increase in range and a reduced consumption of fuel compared to Generation 2.

The Long Road To Fuel Cell Vehicles

BMW isn’t quite there yet, but it’s closing in. The prototype stage is still in the works, including testing, manufacturability, and scalabilty. “These steps are crucial in preparing fuel cell technology for series production,” BMW notes.

By this coming May, BMW also expects to begin producing prototypes of its new “BMW Energy Master” hydrogen-specific controller, at Plant Dingolfing. If all goes according to plan, the fuel cell components will be manufactured at BMW’s Plant Landshut, in time for series production in 2028 at BMW Group Plant Steyr, which is currently being outfitted for the job.

Here Comes Toyota, Again

In other news, city planners in Tokyo are depending on fuel cell technology to decarbonize the city’s taxi fleet. Tokyo has set a goal of introducing approximately 600 fuel cell vehicles to its taxi fleet, under its “Tokyo H2” initiative. The news organization Automotive Powertrain Technology International was among those taking note earlier this week, when the Tokyo Metropolitan Government let word slip that Toyota has been tapped to contribute 200 of its Crown sedan to the effort before the end of FY 2025.

Here in the US, Toyota has also been collaborating with truck maker PACCAR on heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles. Though, the timeline has shifted. PACCAR was planning to begin series production of a new fuel cell truck under its Kenworth brand this spring, but the company is taking a timeout while it assesses fuel infrastructure in the US.

Meanwhile, Daimler….

Daimler Truck is another firm moving into the fuel cell vehicle space, but playing it even more close to the vest than BMW. So far, the company’s biggest step is the recruitment of Air Products, Amazon, Holcim, INEOS Inovyn, and Wiedmann & Winz to test five “Gen2H2” trucks, with the aim of assessing whether or not they can be used in existing logistical operations as a drop-in replacement for diesel trucks.

The drop-in angle is coming to the fore as fleet managers begin to realize that a fleet of BEVs requires a rethinking of schedules and deployment. In principle, fuel cell vehicles could simply replace their ICE counterparts without any follow-on changes to operations.

That remains to be seen, but on September 3, Daimler provided an update on its 5-truck trial. Combined, the five trucks have successfully racked up more than 225,000 kilometers. Still, Daimler is taking a cautious approach.

“By deploying the GenH2 Trucks in real-world logistics operations, we have been able to demonstrate their performance, reliability and efficiency across various transport applications and gain important insights,” explained Michael Scheib, Head of Entire Vehicle Development at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Scheib also noted that the trial has led to further refinements involving the refueling operation as well as the vehicles, with an eye on commencing series production sometime in the future.

Photo: Fuel cell technology developed by BMW for use in fuel cell vehicles through a collaboration with Toyota (courtesy of BMW via DropBox).