Posted on 03 Sep 2025
German carmaker BMW Group confirmed Tuesday the timeline for series production of its fuel cell electric vehicle, known so far as BMW iX5 Hydrogen, remains 2028, Kallanish reports.
“The choice of Steyr as the production location clearly demonstrates our commitment to a European innovation footprint,” comments Joachim Post, member of the board of management of BMW AG in charge of development. “The BMW competence centres in Munich and Steyr have a key role to play in the development of pioneering fuel cell systems.”
These systems, which convert hydrogen into electricity to power the engine, have been developed in partnership with Toyota Motor Corporation. The first generation of the system was fitted in the BMW 535iA in 2014. The second generation, manufactured by BMW using Toyota’s cells, made its debut in the current BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet.
Now, the companies jointly developed the powertrain system for passenger vehicles, enabling core fuel cell tech to be used in both commercial and passenger vehicles. The third-generation system features a 25% space reduction with increased power density compared to the preceding generation. It also has a higher degree of integration, and components have been optimised to increase efficiency.
“New test rigs and production facilities are now being built [at Steyr] and buildings modified to incorporate the new drive technology and constantly refine it,” BMW adds, noting that in late May 2026, the company will start construction of new hardware and equipment for the series production. This will include the hydrogen-specific BMW Energy Master platform, which controls the supply of power in the vehicle across a range of 400-800 volts. It also acts as the interface for data from the high-voltage battery.
BMW Group’s FCEV update comes at a challenging time for the automotive industry in Europe, with some carmakers calling on the EU to revise its CO2 emissions targets once again and prolong the life of internal combustion engines. It also follows growing headwinds to planned green hydrogen production projects on the back of high costs and lack of offtake agreements.
Yet, the group reinforces that the planned model demonstrates its “technology-open” approach.
“We are proud to be producing another innovative drive technology at Plant Steyr in future alongside the latest generation of electric motors and combustion engines,” concludes Klaus von Moltke, senior vice president engine production at BMW AG and director of BMW Group Plant Steyr.
Source:Kallanish
