BMW AG (ETR:BMW) has set its sights on 2028 to bring a maiden hydrogen-powered car to market.
This is set to use one of the carmaker’s existing models and be powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology developed with Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) Corp.
How much the vehicle will cost and the number planned for production was not confirmed, with the company noting it assumed hydrogen refuelling infrastructure would be developed by 2028.
“Powered by hydrogen and driven by the spirit of our cooperation, it will underscore how technological progress is shaping future mobility,” BMW chair Oliver Zipse commented.
“It will herald an era of significant demand for fuel-cell electric vehicles.”
The move comes as BMW appears to weigh which technology will be preferred for powering cars in the future out of fuel cells and batteries.
Fuel cells use a motor similar to electric vehicles, but rather draw power from a stack where hydrogen is separated to produce power.
This means refuelling a hydrogen car takes less time than charging an electric vehicle.
High costs and limited refuelling infrastructure have so far meant little investment has been made in producing hydrogen cars though.
BMW has been among the few to work on hydrogen technology, with a prototype vehicle, the iX5, undergoing testing.