The lack of a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure in the UK remains a big stumbling block for the roll-out of hydrogen cars and could lead BMW not to offer its new FCEV here.
Right now the UK has just three hydrogen filling stations for cars and only three more in the pipeline, according to data from UK H2 Mobility.
“We sincerely hope that the infrastructure will develop further, because right now the UK is not in a condition where [launching] would make sense,” Jürgen Guldner, head of BMW’s hydrogen vehicle project, told a panel of experts at an event in London on 5 June.
BMW plans to sell its first FCEV in 2028 but hasn’t revealed which vehicle will receive the powertrain or where it will be sold.
It will use Toyota’s fuel-cell stack, which converts hydrogen to electricity. Currently Toyota is the only mainstream manufacturer offering an FCEV in the UK, the Mirai saloon, costing £64,690.
Back in 2013, UK H2 Mobility predicted there would be 1.6 million hydrogen vehicles on Britain's roads by 2030. However, BEV technology has since come to dominate the race for zero-emissions propulsion, and so far this year no FCEVs have been sold in the UK.
Globally the picture is not much better, with sales of all FCEVs (including lorries and buses) falling 22% last year to 12,866, according to figures published by Hydrogen Insights.
By contrast, 32,378 battery-electric cars were sold in the UK in May alone, new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show.
Proponents of hydrogen including BMW and Toyota argue that FCEV technology is needed to allow the entire vehicle market to shift to zero-emissions propulsion.
“Our research shows that customers would be people who drive longer distances and those who live in the cities,” Guldner said. “Our strategy is to have a second technology in our portfolio, then people can choose which one they want.”
Producers meanwhile argue that creating green hydrogen is a great way to store renewable energy in those unpredictable periods when too much electricity is being generated.
A range of obstacles remain in the way – some solvable, others less so. The high cost of FCEV technology would come down if the demand were there, Guldner said.
The company is also comfortable packaging large enough high-pressure tanks into the body structure to give decent range, currently below that of a diesel equivalent.
Add your comment