BMW brings Hydrogen mobility to SA with Anglo American Platinum and Sasol

BMW is driving green mobility forward in SA with the introduction of a pilot fleet of BMW Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to raise awareness and allow key industry players the opportunity to sample the latest in carbon-neutral motoring. Their recent Hydrogen Tech Day introduced several partners who have climbed on board to help make hydrogen a viable fuel for the future.

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This new technology takes the Electric Vehicle (EV) recipe and, with the help of emissions-conscious suppliers, reduces the overall impact on the environment, helping to solve one of the biggest detractions of the electric car, the power generation. A signed collaboration agreement in October 2023 at the South African Green Hydrogen Summit will see BMW benefit from a cross-industry alliance to help drive the initiative forward.

 

The partnership

Anglo American Platinum

Anglo American Platinum's Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) division will be helping BMW realize an infrastructure that will be able to support hydrogen refuelling. Having successfully converted and maintained an ultra-heavy duty 510-tonne truck for operations in the Mogalakwena PGMs mine. Their knowledge of the ecosystem required to implement hydrogen mobility is as critical as the platinum they mine, which is required for the construction of the hydrogen fuel cells used in vehicles. 

Green hydrogen is produced at the fuel site using solar energy, yielding a true green fuel, and is stored locally to ensure availability whenever needed. The nuGen Truck utilizes a hybrid drivetrain that consists of a hydrogen fuel cell and a battery system that is recharged during braking. It's the first of its kind and shows how even ultra-heavy-duty vehicles can benefit from Hydrogen technology. This truck is the first in Anglo American Platinum's efforts to achieve a true zero-carbon mining solution.

 

Sasol

Sasol steps up to help provide the knowledge and expertise required to produce, store, and transport Hydrogen successfully. They have already repurposed a 60MW electrolyser for hydrogen production and manages to do so in a green manner, utilizing solar power generation for these efforts.

Their involvement is crucial for the development of the infrastructure that will eventually be able to support Hydrogen refilling. Initially, the network will support the heavy goods and haulage sectors, with consumers eventually being able to piggyback off of the groundwork laid out by this initiative. 

 

How hydrogen fuel cell vehicles work

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are closely related to EVs in that they use electric motors to provide the drive to the wheels. The battery system on these is rather small though and likened to a series-parallel hybrid where the battery is only used for auxiliary systems and would only be able to provide around 2 or 3 km worth of range when directing energy to the motor.

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Instead of a battery pack, a hydrogen vehicle has tanks that hold the hydrogen. This is then used by the fuel cell to generate the electricity required to power the motor, providing drive for the vehicle. This means that there is no recharging required and with a suitable refilling solution with a pressurisation system high enough, a refuel should only take no more than a few minutes to complete - very similar to the fossil fuel vehicles we're accustomed to.

 

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen

We got a chance to sample the demonstration vehicles, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, at Tech Day. Fitted with a 6kg tank, the iX5 Hydrogen has a range of approximately 500 km. The fuel cell provides 125 kW of power and is supplemented by a further 175 kW from the battery to give the electric drive motor a total output of 295 kW. This makes the iX5 Hydrogen rather quick and as it is electric in nature, the torque is available instantaneously from any speed. It will accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in under 6 seconds and go on to a top speed of more than 185 km/h. 

 

The Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) requires 100kg less raw materials to produce, and the batteries require 90% less critical raw materials when compared to a battery Electric vehicle (BEV). The platinum required to produce the fuel cell is readily available from recycled sources, and the systematic phasing out of ICE vehicles sees more platinum being made available. 

Don't expect to see any hydrogen cars for sale in the near future, there are still challenges that need to be overcome, and BMW is working hand in hand with the likes of Anglo American Platinum and Sasol to ensure that the necessary government support is solicited to help kickstart this project.