BMW admits that if they didn’t go with a plug-in hybrid for the 2015 BMW i8, hydrogen would’ve been the next choice.
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The BMW 5 Series GT Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle is a very early BMW research and development prototype fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).
In EPA testing the Mirai displayed an average range of 312 miles on a full tank of hydrogen, putting it just over the 300-mile mark that so many buyers are looking for in alternative-fuel vehicles.
The program will run until “FCVs become well established in the market and the development of hydrogen station infrastructure is well underway”, according to the statement. “Making fuel-cell technology a reality is a task not just for carmakers, but for the whole of society”.
On a trip around the Miramas track, the Gran Turismo handled like any other electric vehicle, except for a hissing sound during sharp acceleration from a pump passing hydrogen and air through the fuel cells.
– All-electric, locally emission-free driving. The electricity is used to power an electric motor.
BMW was at pains to point out the car’s R&D status and that a production version is two product cycles away, but even so, the signs are promising. That’s more than triple the i3’s 160 kilometers. The refuelling also takes around five minutes.
Fuel cell technology therefore makes an ideal addition to both the BMW i models and, in the future, the series-produced models from the BMW brand fitted with tried-and-tested eDrive technology.
As the auto maker itself touts, the Toyota Mirai is now the only zero-emission electric vehicle that soars past the 300-mile range mark. The 300-plus mile range is a tad more than Toyota claimed when it introduced the Mirai.
Batteries, say fuel cell enthusiasts, will always be expensive, have a limited lifespan and, crucially, suffer extended recharging times.
– Highly efficient combustion engines with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology.
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Instead of the heavy deceleration you get from a powerful regenerative braking system tuned to store as much kinetic energy as possible, it continues to coast with only moderate deceleration. While we’ve yet to see what that first production fuel cell vehicle will look like, previous concepts displayed past year in Los Angeles show a four-seat sedan that is sleek, futuristic, and reminiscent of Honda’s first Insight hybrid.
