BMW is still determined to launch its first fuel cell car production in 2028. To make it happen, it’s strengthening its relationship with Toyota. The car manufacturer also believes H₂ has a future in the automotive industry. In the meantime, the German luxury brand is testing the technology in two zero-emission trucks.

BMW Group Logistics will operate a pair of Iveco S-eWay fuel cell trucks in Germany. The trial run will involve trips between Leipzig, Landsberg and Nuremberg. Two H₂ refueling stations are under construction, one in Leipzig and the other in Hormersdorf. The new facilities will ensure smoother operation between trips. The big rigs will use rapid refueling, with large amounts of H₂ fed into their tanks.

There are five H₂ fuel stations on the grounds of the Leipzig factory. More than 200 forklifts and tugger trains used for internal plant logistics are refueled there. Germany’s first indoor H₂ fuel station was inaugurated in 2013 at BMW’s plant in Saxony. From 2026, the Regensburg plant will also start using H₂-powered tugger trains and forklift trucks.

BMW’s new H₂ trucks are part of a wider fleet of 16 big H₂ rigs funded by the Clean H₂ Partnership. The H2Haul project aims to test fuel cell drivetrains in a real-life environment rather than an artificial scenario simulated in a laboratory. The fuel cell trucks will be tested in several European countries.