BMW receives $315 million in support from the German state

BMW has been granted financial support from both the German federal government and the state of Bavaria to further develop hydrogen technology for use in future car models.

The total funding amounts to 273 million euros, which is equivalent to around 315 million dollars.

The money comes from the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi).

The funds will be used for the development of fuel cell technology, which BMW has named HyPowerDrive.

Hydrogen cars in the program from 2028

BMW aims to offer a version of their X5 model with a hydrogen powertrain from 2028.

The plan is to offer the model with five different powertrains, with hydrogen technology being one of the options.

This will be the first time in BMW’s history that a single model will be offered with so many different powertrains.

According to Germany’s Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, the project is an important step towards achieving the country’s climate goals in transportation.

At a ceremony where the funding was presented, he said:

– Mobility with hydrogen and fuel cells is an important building block for achieving our climate goals in the transport sector.

He also highlighted BMW’s approach as technology-neutral and emphasized the importance of investments in climate-friendly alternatives.

Infrastructure requirements come with the support

As part of the agreement, BMW has committed to investigate the possibilities of integrating hydrogen refueling stations into the existing infrastructure.

The upcoming EU legislation may also force other member countries to re-open previously closed hydrogen stations.

This could lead to further support for the spread of hydrogen technology, but also to new obligations for players in the automotive industry.

BMW is already collaborating with Toyota on fuel cell development and expects this partnership to be central to delivering hydrogen cars to the market in 2028.