BMW Neue Klasse may get hydrogen fuel cell tech. Details here
BMW Neue Klasse has been making headlines for quite some time now. The German luxury car brand's future electric vehicles will be underpinned by the Neue Klasse architecture, which is slated to debut in 2025. However, besides the battery electric vehicles, BMW is also exploring hydrogen fuel cell technology as another powertrain solution for this platform, claims a report by Autoblog.
Jurgen Guldner, general manager of the abovementioned project, reportedly said to the automotive publication that BMW is working on being able to integrate hydrogen into the Neue Klasse platform. However, he also stated that it won't be ready by 2025. In that case, we may see a hydrogen fuel cell EV based on the BMW Neue Klasse platform later in the decade. Guldner also hinted that hydrogen fuel cell technology would be only for larger cars.
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Speaking about the upcoming EVs based on this platform, the first model will be a sedan, and a compact SUV will follow it. The automaker has claimed that it is looking at a clever packaging solution for the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain.
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Considering the fact that BMW is starting from scratch with the Neue Klasse, future-proofing the EV platform makes sense, as it would be more economical and efficient, especially as hydrogen is a true zero-emission powertrain technology, as it emits only water from the tailpipe. Also, the integration capability of the hydrogen fuel cell to the Neue Klasse will allow BMW to remain flexible and open to exploring new technologies as they happen.
Guldner explained that the packaging for the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain ion Neue Klasse would have smaller tanks positioned next to each other that take up the space of an EV's battery pack. This will allow the automaker more flexibility in terms of the number of tanks required for different models. He also hinted that as the rest of the infrastructure, like the motor, is already in the platform, it is only a matter of exploring the right design and positioning of the hydrogen tanks.
