bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

  • BMW won’t commit to ending combustion engines
  • Battery EVs will be a big part of BMW’s future, but it’s not realistic to expect charging infrastructure to be sufficient to meet needs of all users
  • Converting a petrol station into hydrogen station takes just 2 days, far easier than large scale deployment of EV chargers and hooking them to power grid

The BMW Group has one of the widest portfolio of EV models (5 BMW i Series, 1 MINI, 1 Rolls-Royce). It is also the industry’s leader in carbon-neutral supply chains, going as far as direct sourcing of minerals from ethically-managed mines. You would think that the BMW Group will be jumping both feet into electric mobility like Audi or Lexus, but no.

While its Rolls-Royce Motorcars subsidiary will become an EV-only brand 2030, followed by MINI slightly later, the company’s namesake BMW brand has so far resisted calls to walk-the-talk and end sales of combustion engine models. The reason is not as simple as Elon Musk’s superfans will want to believe.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

In a recent World Market Leader Innovation Day organized by German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse reiterated the Munich-based company’s stance that although the BMW Group is adopting an electric-centric strategy, it is wrong to bet the future on just one technology path.

“We think it’s wrong to switch off the combustion engine in Europe,” said Zipse, who disagreed with the Europe Union’s decision to ban combustion engines by 2035.

“The industry will look different in terms of scale and structure than it does today if it goes to just one technology,” said Zipse, who added that governments should remain open to all possible technological solutions.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

Zipse said a ‘hard shutdown’ of the combustion engine “would lead to distortions that nobody here can control anymore.” If the transition fails, there is no fallback as one can’t simply restart production of engines.

Although the BMW Group is investing heavily into EVs, it reckons that it is not realistic to expect charging infrastructure to be rolled out fast enough to support the scale of transition necessary to meet Europe’s climate protection goals.

Contrary to his former peer and ex-CEO of Volkswagen Group Herbert Diess, who is a big fan of Elon Musk and once tweeted “’Please listen to science!” deriding hydrogen as a solution, Zipse said hydrogen is “the only raw material that can be sustainably produced and stored.”

Diess has since been removed from his position at VW.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

Both Diess and Musk are too invested into battery EVs to consider other alternatives

Companies that are backing hydrogen disagree and say the world cannot hope to scale up the supply of renewable energy requireds to support EVs without investing into hydrogen, as renewable energy is unreliable and is very dependent on weather conditions.

Some form of energy storage is required to store excess energy so power demand can still be met even when output from solar panels or wind turbines are low.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

EV proponents are pushing for batteries to be used at solar and wind farms but there is just not enough batteries to meet demand for EVs and power stations.

In theory, discarded EV batteries that can no longer power cars can be repurposed to store energy in the day and supply power to the grid at night, but this is easier said than done because every EV maker’s batteries is of a different size, format, chemistry, each requiring their own unique software to manage. It is not possible to mix-match different batteries and re-deploy them on a large scale for use in power stations.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

Hyundai’s 2MWh Energy Storage System at its Ulsan plant. Discarded xEV batteries that are no longer fit for use in cars are used as a giant power bank, charged by solar power, supplementing power from the grid.

Further supporting the case of hydrogen, Zipse said “You don’t need your own charging infrastructure.”

“You can convert a petrol station (to store hydrogen) in two days. The path to get there is relatively short, and unlike with electromobility, where you need connections to the medium-voltage grid, and you need a charging infrastructure for every car. That’s a lot of work. That will work, but not as the only solution. This (battery EV solution) is going to take far too long. That’s why we firmly believe in hydrogen. It will come and it will come at BMW, I am very, very sure of that,” said Zipse.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

BMW is currently working with Toyota to start small-scale production of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen. It started in-house production of fuel cell systems in Munich last month.

The fuel cells are sourced from Toyota, but BMW assembles them into stacks using their own production techniques.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

BMW iX5 Hydrogen, production of about 100 units will commence by end-2022

The stack housing itself is manufactured in the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut using BMW’s own sand casting technique for small-series models. Final assembly is completed at the company’s hydrogen competency centre in Munich.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

BMW started production of fuel cell stacks last month, with cells sourced from Toyota, for its iX5 Hydrogen

Apart from BMW and Toyota, the Hyundai Motor Group is also investing into fuel cells, though the fate of the project for passenger cars is still in question as the next generation Hyundai Nexo is rumoured to be delayed after encountering a serious setback.

Hyundai’s heavy truck division however is still proceeding as planned, having just revealed fuel cell van built in partnership with Iveco. It had also just put five Xcient fuel cell trucks in operation in USA last month.

Mercedes-Benz too is developing fuel cells for its heavy trucks. Its passenger car division is focused only on battery EVs.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

In China, Geely is working with Korea’s SK Group to develop fuel cells.

Having become the world’s largest EV market and with a fairly mature EV battery and motor drive suppliers ecosystem, China’s road map for its automotive industry for the next decade is to promote hydrogen fuel cells.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have been identified as one of the six industries China needs to develop in its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021 to 2025).

The move by China is important, because as the world’s largest producer of batteries, China knows more than any other country about promoting and building EVs. If China says a country cannot rely on EVs alone, it’s probably worth taking a few steps back from Tesla’s rhetoric and understand China’s reasoning.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

Toyota Mirai and Coaster FCEV bus at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was the world’s largest demonstration of hydrogen FCEVs, with more than 1,200 FCEVs deployed into service, putting various hydrogen refueling solutions to real-world test.

The Zhangjiakou prefecture is China’s national wind and solar energy storage and transmission demonstration project zone. Excess energy from these renewable sources are stored as hydrogen, which is then converted into electricity by fuel cells to meet gaps in power demand.

Shell now runs one of the world’s largest electrolysers to produce green hydrogen in Zhangjiakou, at 20 MW. The facility will scale up to 60 MW in the next phase.

bmw says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

Hydrogen FCEVs can be refueled in less than 5 minutes, similar to combustion engine cars

Hydrogen energy is divided into 3 categories – grey, blue, and green, representing their CO2 level emission. Grey hydrogen is extracted from fossil fuel sources so it emits CO2; blue is an intermediate stage, where CO2 emitted is stored using carbon capture solutions; green hydrogen is produced using zero-CO2 renewable solar or wind power.

Currently, majority of hydrogen produced are of the grey and blue variety, just like electricity, where coal and natural gas are still the main input fuel / source.

Keyword: BMW says betting everything on batteries is a bad idea, echoes Toyota's believe in hydrogen fuel cells

CAR'S NEWS RELATED

Would I recommend a Toyota Hyryder after driving it for a year?

Its hybrid powertrain is its biggest strength not only for its fuel efficiency but also for its super responsiveness. BHPian S2!!! recently shared this with other enthusiasts. 1 year, 12,000km update Most of my observations are similar to what I have shared in my previous posts. So this time, ...

View more: Would I recommend a Toyota Hyryder after driving it for a year?

BMW iM3 Trademark Hints At High-Performance EV

It's a significant sign pointing towards the electric future for BMW's M division.

View more: BMW iM3 Trademark Hints At High-Performance EV

BMW reveals first electric M performance car name in new trademark filing

A new trademark filing revealed the name of the first BMW high-performance M electric car. The BMW M3 is going electric, likely under the name iM3. The rumors can finally be put to rest: BMW’s M3 is going electric. According to a new trademark application filing with the European ...

View more: BMW reveals first electric M performance car name in new trademark filing

Watch This Toyota GR Corolla Go Absolutely Wild On A Dirt Back Road

This is the only correct way to drive your rally-inspired all-wheel drive hot hatch.

View more: Watch This Toyota GR Corolla Go Absolutely Wild On A Dirt Back Road

The First All-New Toyota Tacoma In Over Eight Years Starts At $32,995

Image: Toyota Toyota seems to be very aware of just how anticipated and popular the 2024 Tacoma is going to be. It’s trickled out information about the truck for months now. Probably the most anticipated information – just how much this thing going to cost – is finally here. ...

View more: The First All-New Toyota Tacoma In Over Eight Years Starts At $32,995

Here’s Everything You Get In The Base 2024 Toyota Tacoma

The steel wheels say “work truck,” but adaptive cruise and push-button start were the stuff of luxury cars only a few years ago.

View more: Here’s Everything You Get In The Base 2024 Toyota Tacoma

2025 BMW M5: Everything We Know

The quintessential Q-Ship sports sedan is bigger than ever, and you can expect big-time hybrid V8 power under the hood.

View more: 2025 BMW M5: Everything We Know

Toyota to sell massive $4.7B stake in top supplier as it looks to catch up in EV race

Toyota is securing substantial funding as it looks to catch up in the EV race. Sources close to the matter say Toyota and its affiliates will sell a stake of around $4.7B in Denso, the second-largest global auto supplier. Toyota plans to sell around 10% (roughly $4.7 billion) of ...

View more: Toyota to sell massive $4.7B stake in top supplier as it looks to catch up in EV race

The Crown Signia Is A Wagon Regardless Of What Toyota Says

Five most affordable automatic cars in South Africa

At $27,900, Does this 1990 BMW 325iX Pass The Touring Test?

2024 Toyota Tacoma First Drive: A Sure Bet Remains So

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Starts At $32,995

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Adds Some Polish But Keeps The Fun

Toyota Selling Shorty Land Cruiser 70 For $46,000 But There’s A Catch

Exclusive: Toyota group companies plan $4.7 billion sale of Denso stake

2024 Toyota Camry NASCAR Cup Series Contender Gets The Road Car's New Looks

The Only New Toyota Camry That Won't Be A Hybrid Is Racing In NASCAR

Gnarly BMW Engine Teardown Shows The Dire Consequences Of Overheating

New Toyota Hilux Champ – Engines and interior revealed

OTHER CAR NEWS

; Top List in the World https://www.pinterest.com/newstopcar/pins/
Top Best Sushi Restaurants in SeoulTop Best Caribbean HoneymoonsTop Most Beautiful Islands in PeruTop Best Outdoor Grill BrandsTop Best Global Seafood RestaurantsTop Foods to Boost Your Immune SystemTop Best Foods to Fight HemorrhoidsTop Foods That Pack More Potassium Than a BananaTop Best Healthy Foods to Gain Weight FastTop Best Cosmetic Brands in the U.STop Best Destinations for Food Lovers in EuropeTop Best Foods High in Vitamin ATop Best Foods to Lower Your Blood SugarTop Best Things to Do in LouisianaTop Best Cities to Visit in New YorkTop Best Makeup Addresses In PennsylvaniaTop Reasons to Visit NorwayTop Most Beautiful Islands In The WorldTop Best Law Universities in the WorldTop Richest Sportsmen In The WorldTop Biggest Aquariums In The WorldTop Best Peruvian Restaurants In MiamiTop Best Road Trips From MiamiTop Best Places to Visit in MarylandTop Best Places to Visit in North CarolinaTop Best Electric Cars For KidsTop Best Swedish Brands in The USTop Best Skincare Brands in AmericaTop Best American Lipstick BrandsTop Michelin-starred Restaurants in MiamiTop Best Secluded Getaways From MiamiTop Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In MiamiTop Most Instagrammable Places In MiamiTop Interesting Facts about FlorenceTop Facts About The First Roman Emperor - AugustusTop Best Japanese FoodsTop Most Beautiful Historical Sites in IsraelTop Best Places To Visit In Holy SeeTop Best Hawaiian IslandsTop Reasons to Visit PortugalTop Best Hotels In L.A. With Free Wi-FiTop Best Scenic Drives in MiamiTop Best Vegan Restaurants in BerlinTop Most Interesting Attractions In WalesTop Health Benefits of a Vegan DietTop Best Thai Restaurant in Las VegasTop Most Beautiful Forests in SwitzerlandTop Best Global Universities in GermanyTop Most Beautiful Lakes in GuyanaTop Best Things To Do in IdahoTop Things to Know Before Traveling to North MacedoniaTop Best German Sunglasses BrandsTop Highest Mountains In FranceTop Biggest Hydroelectric Plants in AmericaTop Best Spa Hotels in NYCTop The World's Scariest BridgeTop Largest Hotels In AmericaTop Most Famous Festivals in JordanTop Best European Restaurants in MunichTop Best Japanese Hiking Boot BrandsTop Best Universities in PolandTop Best Tips for Surfing the Web Safely and AnonymouslyTop Most Valuable Football Clubs in EuropeTop Highest Mountains In ColombiaTop Real-Life Characters of Texas RisingTop Best Beaches in GuatelamaTop Things About DR Congo You Should KnowTop Best Korean Reality & Variety ShowsTop Best RockstarsTop Most Beautiful Waterfalls in GermanyTop Best Fountain Pen Ink BrandsTop Best European Restaurants in ChicagoTop Best Fighter Jets in the WorldTop Best Three-Wheel MotorcyclesTop Most Beautiful Lakes in ManitobaTop Best Dive Sites in VenezuelaTop Best Websites For Art StudentsTop Best Japanese Instant Noodle BrandsTop Best Comedy Manhwa (Webtoons)Top Best Japanese Sunglasses BrandsTop Most Expensive Air Jordan SneakersTop Health Benefits of CucumberTop Famous Universities in SwedenTop Most Popular Films Starring Jo Jung-sukTop Interesting Facts about CougarsTop Best Hospitals for Hip Replacement in the USATop Most Expensive DefendersTop Health Benefits of GooseberriesTop Health Benefits of ParsnipsTop Best Foods and Drinks in LondonTop Health Benefits of Rosehip TeaTop Best Air Fryers for Low-fat CookingTop Most Asked Teacher Interview Questions with AnswersTop Best Shopping Malls in ZurichTop The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens In L.A.Top Best Mexican Restaurants in Miami for Carb-loading rightTop Best Energy Companies in GermanyTop Best Garage HeatersTop Largest Banks in IrelandTop Leading Provider - Audit and Assurance In The USTop Best Jewelry Brands in IndiaTop Prettiest Streets in the UKTop Best Lakes to Visit in TunisiaTop Highest Mountains in Israel