German carmaker, BMW, is looking to hydrogen fuel cells to provide at least part of its powertrian solution to achieve its electrification goals.  

Speaking at a recent shareholder briefing, BMW chairman, Oliver Zipse, indicated that fuel cell technology would be required to meets the company goal of having half of its global sales electric by 2030. He said, “Hydrogen could be the missing piece of the puzzle that can complement electromobility in places where battery-electric drivetrains are unable to gain traction." 

It is speculated that the Neue Klasse platform, which will form the basis of a new range of battery electric vehicles from 2025, will be designed so that it can also be adapted to fuel cells. 

BMW already has a iX5 model in the pipeline. This uses a Toyota fuel-cell stack combined with BMW electric-drive technology. This is not expected to be a major player in the market, but will provide an important test bed for this type of design.