BMW boss sees hydrogen cars, not EVs, to be ‘hippest’ to drive

BMW chairman Oliver Zipse thinks hydrogen, and not batteries, will soon be the next trend and most desirable vehicular power source.

Zipse added that the hydrogen market was some years behind electric, but would soon be a major player.

BMW is currently ramping up its battery car offerings, adding the “i” badge to more and more models, and committing to making half of the Group’s new cars EVs by 2030.,

BMW recently announced the iX5, a hydrogen-fuelled X5 SUV that will enter production late this year.

Others hydrogen-savvy carmakers include Mercedes, Honda, and Toyota, the Japanese pair already selling fuel cell vehicles several years ago.

BMW’s ambitions for hydrogen could extend to other marques within the BMW portfolio.

But Zipse clarified that no one power source is so perfect it should sideline all others. Electric power makes sense in urban areas in developed countries where there’s ready access to charging infrastructure, but in other situations hydrogen could be preferable.