Overview
- Federal transport minister Patrick Schnieder and Bavaria’s Markus Söder handed BMW a combined €273 million funding decision in Berlin, with €191 million from the federal government and €82 million from Bavaria.
- BMW plans to offer the next X5 with five powertrains, adding a hydrogen fuel‑cell variant from 2028 alongside gasoline, diesel, plug‑in hybrid and battery‑electric options.
- Key drivetrain components are slated for production in Munich, Landshut and Steyr, while final assembly of the X5 remains at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina.
- BMW and Toyota are collaborating on the third generation of the fuel‑cell system, building on earlier prototype work and aiming to create synergies across passenger and commercial vehicles.
- The project is part of the EU’s hydrogen IPCEI with state‑aid cleared by the European Commission in May 2024, yet Germany’s shrinking hydrogen refuelling network and expert skepticism signal significant market hurdles.