The BMW hydrogen car demonstration fleet uses Toyota fuel cells

BMW announced Monday that it will launch a fleet of hydrogen cars as part of an emissions-free mobility pilot program.

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At a Munich facility, BMW iX5 Hydrogen is being assembled using fuel cells sourced from Toyota. It can reach speeds of more than 112 miles per hour.

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It takes three to four minutes to fill up the hydrogen tanks in the car. As measured by the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure, or WLTP, BMW claims its vehicle has a range of 313 miles.

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The fleet is expected to enter service in 2023, with just 100 vehicles set to be used worldwide for demonstration and trial purposes with a variety of target groups.”

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As BMW Chair Oliver Zipse explained in a statement, hydrogen is "a versatile and important energy source in the transition to clean energy."

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In addition, he called hydrogen a "renewable energy storage and transportation technology."

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The mobility sector should also benefit from this potential, Zipse noted.

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In order to achieve emission-free mobility, hydrogen is the missing piece.

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According to the International Energy Agency, hydrogen is a "versatile energy carrier" that can be used across a wide range of sectors, including transportation and industry.

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A number of automotive firms are investigating hydrogen's potential. BMW is one of them. Hydrogen-powered cars are also being developed by Toyota and Hyundai, as well as smaller companies such as Riversimple.

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Some high-profile automotive figures aren't so sure about hydrogen, although it may have its supporters.

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The Tesla CEO tweeted in June 2020 that "fuel cells = fool sells." In July of that same year, he added: "hydrogen fool sales are pointless."

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Hydrogen, Musk said, was "the dumbest idea I could possibly imagine for storing energy" in May 2022.