Lifeline for hydrogen as BMW iX5 FCEV nears production

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles didn't revolutionise drivetrains at the first serious attempt by car makers a quarter of a century ago.

The main barrier was resistance to setting up a hydrogen refuelling network, but major manufacturers have continued to develop the technology. At IAA Transportation in Hanover, Germany, on 15 September, a consortium including Volvo, Daimler Truck, Toyota, Air Liquide, Total Energies, Teal Mobility and MB Energy unveiled plans to "accelerate the rollout of hydrogen-powered vehicles across Europe". Germany will act as launch pad, with the aim of replicating the model on a "continental scale", German authorities and European industrial leaders are said to be supporting a scalable deployment of hydrogen trucks by 2030.