- BMW will launch its first production hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell EV in 2028
- It remains bullish on the prospect of hydrogen despite a crumbling infrastructure in the U.S.
- Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai have all also invested in their own hydrogen future
BMW has been exploring hydrogen drivetrains for some time—since 1979, believe it or not. It's actually built concepts from seven different models over the span of 45 years. But in that time, it never announced plans to put any hydrogen-powered cars into production despite some competitors launching models of their own. Until now, that is.
The German automaker has tapped Toyota for some help in preparing to launch its first hydrogen-powered production vehicle that people can actually buy.
BMW says that with the help of Toyota, the brand will launch its very first hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell EV (FCEV) in 2028. Toyota will provide its third-generation hydrogen fuel cell for the production car—that's the same stack Toyota showed off in its hydrogen-powered Hilux concept late last year.
The automaker didn't reveal the full details about its upcoming FCEV, however, it did note that the vehicle would be an existing model with a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain option added on.
It's probably a good time to remind you that BMW's last concept (pictured above) was called the iX5 Hydrogen. BMW fit a hydrogen fuel cell stack into the car and used it in conjunction with its fifth-generation eDrive motor—the same family of drive units found in the i4, iX, iX3, and i7.
What you probably didn't know is the fuel cell in the iX5 Hydrogen was also supplied by Toyota. In fact, it's the same fuel cell stack in the second-generation Toyota Mirai. And before that, BMW stuffed Toyota's first-generation stack into a 5-Series Gran Turismo.
The brand has historically been pretty optimistic about hydrogen. Like hybrids, it sees Fuel Cell EVs as another solution it can use to green its lineup. That's why BMW has been stress-testing the tech in the iX5 Hydrogen for a few years now in preparation to launch the production version of its FCEV.
The brand even built its Neue Klasses architecture (which is replacing the current Cluster Architecture) to be forward-looking. When fitted with a hydrogen stack, cars built on BMW's next-gen underpinnings will be able to fit its hydrogen tanks in the same space normally occupied by batteries. The space would allow for smaller tanks arranged in different configurations to support vehicles of different sizes and packaging.
Likewise, BMW's plant in Munich is reportedly built to accommodate hydrogen on the production line, signaling that the automaker has been putting quite a bit of thought into hydrogen for quite some time.
With that being said, it's hard to ignore hydrogen's rocky existence in the U.S.
California's Hydrogen Highway isn't what it was just a few months ago. Station owners are jumping ship as EVs take hold and owners of key models like the Toyota Mirari just aren't feeling the love anymore.
Owning a hydrogen car in California is a pretty polarizing experience, especially when traveling. In a recent article, owners shared details of a crumbling hydrogen dream in the States. The many problems they experienced weren't just related to their car—they were also focused on the poor state of the supporting infrastructure. With the secret out, it's surprising to see automakers continue investing in hydrogen-powered cars, but not publicly boast about propping up the infrastructure.
"[T]he user experience of owning a hydrogen car is, to put it mildly, not so good," said California State Senator Josh Newman, who drives a Toyota Mirai, in a Reddit post. He later continued: "[I]t’s not due to the cars themselves. They’re awesome. It’s the refueling. The reality is the state of H2 refueling in California is, in a word, abysmal."
The current state of things hasn't kept other automakers from investing in hydrogen either. For example, Honda surprised the world when it released the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV—a mouthful to say, I know. Hyundai has also proven itself to be bullish on Hydrogen. Not only is the brand continuing to develop the tech for its own cars, but it's also focusing on transitioning the world into what it calls a "hydrogen society" where fuel cell stacks are used to power trains and trucks, or be used as mobile generators.
Toyota is likely the best partner that BMW could have looked to for this launch. The Japanese automaker has been working to perfect the hydrogen fuel cell for three decades and actually has two generations of the Mirai under its belt. Toyota is also expecting Europe to continue to grow as a hydrogen hotspot, so support for the project despite an underdeveloped refueling network shows confidence from both brands.
One thing that isn't immediately clear is whether or not BMW will even consider launching the model in the States. Both Europe and Japan have a more developed hydrogen refueling infrastructure than the U.S., for example, so it's possible that the automaker could target those markets instead.
Will it succeed? We'll have to wait until after it launches in 2028 to find out.
