Elon Musk May Have Shunned Hydrogen As Source Of Power But This German Automaker Doubles Down On The Tech

German automaker Bayerische Motoren Werke AG BMWYY, also known as BMW, launched the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet of about 100 vehicles on Monday.

What happened: The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen was initially revealed as a concept in 2019. At the core of the new launch is the hydrogen fuel cell system produced at its Munich pilot plant, according to a company statement.

The individual fuel cells are sourced from Toyota Motor Corp. TM, with whom BMW Group has been collaborating with since 2013 on fuel cell drive systems.

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In the past, Tesla Inc. TSLA chief Elon Musk, too, had chimed in with his views on which renewable energy source will see wider adoption. Musk had said that the world will choose batteries over hydrogen.

Through this electric vehicle venture, Musk is credited with furthering the cause of the environment by providing an alternative to gas-guzzling vehicles.

However, BMW feels this hydrogen potential should be used to “also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector.”

“Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility. One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide," said Oliver Zipse, chairman of BMW board, in the statement. 

Why is it important: BMW’s brand new fleet highlights the potential of hydrogen to power mobility in the future. “In the transport sector, hydrogen can become a further technology option, alongside battery-electric mobility, for shaping sustainable individual mobility in the long term,” BMW said.

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