Batteries are becoming an increasingly important energy storage technique. As the world continues to migrate away from relying on fossil fuel energy and toward energy generated by emission-free electrification. Since their first commercial introduction in the early 1990s, lithium-ion batteries have become the power source of selection for many electronic devices, including mobile phones, electric vehicles, and drones.

The demand for lithium-ion batteries for electric power vehicles and energy storage has seen exponential growth, from just 0.5 gigawatt-hours in 2010 to approximately 526 gigawatt-hours a decade later in 2022. This growth is because lithium-ion batteries can accumulate a significant amount of energy. And according to Bloomberg's projections, demand will climb 17 times by the year 2030, which will decrease the cost of battery storage.

Which Automakers are in the race for Hydrogen cars?

In addition, recycling lithium-ion batteries is difficult and expensive. Therefore, now is the right time to grab this opportunity to search for alternative battery technologies that are both effective and affordable. Thankfully, two of the most well-known automotive manufacturers in the world have plans to collaborate on the research and development of a brand-new type of battery that will revolutionize the industry! So, what are these companies, and how exactly will this happen? 

BMW and Toyota plan to develop hydrogen fuel cells for their EVs! 

It has been reported that by the middle of the decade, BMW and Toyota will work together to manufacture hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. According to BMW sales chief Pieter Nota, who spoke with an online news platform, the two will start producing and selling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles they created together as early as 2025. You see, the automakers had collaborated in the past, such as when they developed the iX5 hydrogen, which was based on BMW’s X5 SUV.

Additionally, in 2019, they also jointly built the BMW Z4 and the Toyota Supra sports cars. Toyota has extensive expertise with fuel cell technology, and the company's Mirai mid-size vehicle, which debuted eight years ago and is now entering its second generation, is evidence of this. These vehicles do not have an internal combustion engine or battery, and they use hydrogen and oxygen to generate power. Cars powered by fuel cells have several advantages over battery-powered vehicles since they can get more miles per gallon and can get refueled in as little as 3 to 4 minutes. However, most of the public hydrogen stations in the United States are located in the state of California, and even in that state, the technology is not yet suitable for widespread use. Now, despite BMW's re-entry into the electric vehicle industry with the i4 four-door coupe and the IX SUV, the company has hinted that it may also pursue hydrogen as an energy source in the future.

Oliver Zipse, the CEO of the company, stated in a recent earnings call that the company’s next-generation platform, Neue Klasse, will most likely be designed to support gaseous fuel in addition to pure battery power. The firm has also previously implemented a plan with a platform known as CLAR. That supported internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and fully electric propulsion systems. Now, this method is described as an “all-of-the-above" strategy. And because of CLAR, BMW was able to move fast on plug-in hybrids.

Nevertheless, the company's recent attempts to develop pure EVs have lagged behind its competitors. Neue Klasse may experience the same issues, or they may be able to find a solution to them. Beginning in 2025, when new 3-series sedans and X3 SUVs based on the platform go on sale, the market will have the opportunity to make the decision.

But first, how exactly do hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles work? 

Fuel cell electric vehicles or FCEVs are similar to all-electric cars because they use electricity to power an electric motor. In contrast to other types of electric cars, fuel cell electric vehicles generate their own electricity by using a fuel cell fuelled by hydrogen rather than just drawing electricity from a battery. Now, the vehicle's power is determined by the vehicle’s manufacturer during the process of designing the car. The vehicle's power is also determined by the size of the electric motor that receives electric power from the fuel cell and the correctly sized battery combination. Even though car manufacturers could design an FCEV with plug-in capabilities to charge the battery, most FCEVs on the market today use the battery to store the energy that is recovered from braking.

This not only offers additional power during brief acceleration events but also helps to smooth out the power produced by the fuel cell. It is done by giving the driver a choice to let the fuel cell idle or switch it off when the vehicle's power requirements are low. The size of the hydrogen fuel tank on board is also what determines the total quantity of energy that can be stored there. However, this is not the same as an all-electric vehicle, in which the size of the battery is directly related to the amount of power and energy available.

BMW sees potential in Hydrogen Fuel cell Technology

So, BMW is one of the few automakers who believe that switching to electric propulsion does not necessarily require the installation of cumbersome and space-consuming batteries in a vehicle. And it continues to see potential in hydrogen technology. As a result, the iX5 will undergo a limited production run in the latter half of 2022. It's interesting to note that the German luxury brand has also already started planning for the future of fuel cell technology. During the conference call to discuss the firm's half-year report, the chairman of BMW Group, Oliver Zipse, stated that the company is "already thinking about a possible future generation." And if the proposal is accepted, it won't be implemented shortly because the current generation of the X5 is scheduled to have a mid-cycle refresh in 2023. This means that the next-generation SUV won't hit the market until 2026. Nevertheless, the executive's statement shows that BMW is serious about pursuing hydrogen as a fuel source. 

Oliver Zipse asserts that “hydrogen is the missing piece of the puzzle that can complement electro-mobility in places where battery-electric drivetrains are unable to gain traction". To that end, the  Neue Klasse platform, scheduled to debut in 2025 with a battery-powered 3 Series Sedan, could be modified to support a fuel cell. The executive, who is 58 years old, has also stated that for the time being,  BMW can only "imagine a hydrogen drivetrain for this new vehicle generation". The top executive at BMW thinks that hydrogen-powered individual mobility "needs reassessing", particularly in some countries where traditional battery EVs have not yet achieved widespread acceptance. 

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is an SUV that weighs less than a battery-powered vehicle of comparable size. And that's because it replaces huge batteries with two hydrogen tanks constructed from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The SUV has a total output of 374 horsepower (275 kW). And it has a higher power output than a vehicle of a similar size. 

You see, it takes only three to four minutes to refuel a hydrogen-fueled automobile, making it just as quick as a vehicle powered by gasoline or diesel. This is in addition to the fact that a hydrogen-powered car is noticeably lighter than a conventional electric vehicle. In the case of the BMW iX5, the sport utility vehicle (SUV), BMW developed the car to use waste heat to warm the interior cabin. As with other hydrogen-powered vehicles, such as the Toyota  Mirai, the only emission is water vapor. And now, all we need to do is keep an eye on this area to learn more about the production-ready fuel cell SUV, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, since the first vehicle reviews are scheduled to take place in Europe this fall. 

So, what do you think of BMW and Toyota's initiative to develop this battery? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!