BMW plans to switch Regensburg plant logistics fleet to hydrogen
Bavarian automaker BMW has announced plans to convert the intralogistics fleet at its Regensburg plant from battery to hydrogen power, with FCEV forklift and tugger trucks set to replace the entirety of its existing fleet by 2030.
Despite sales of BMW’s battery electric starting to take off, the propeller company is still investing heavily in fuel cell development – from its latest iX5 Hydrogen FCEV concept to, well, the intralogistics fleet at its Regensburg plant, where the company plans to employ hydrogen forklifts and tuggers in the press shop, body shop, and assembly lines.
BMW’s aggressive deployment timeline is, of course, loaded with problems. For starters, very little hydrogen is actually “green,” and the majority of conventionally available hydrogen is created using fossil fuels – making it both far less environmentally sustainable than you might think … and a lot more expensive than either diesel fuel or battery capacity.
Then there’s the outright misinformation, like this tidbit:
Switching production logistics from electricity to hydrogen will diversify our plant’s energy mix – while optimizing logistics processes and saving valuable space. The advantage of hydrogen is that refueling is very fast – just like with conventional fuels. The filling stations required for this will be installed directly within the different production areas and do not take up much space.
Project Manager, BMW Regensburg, Katharina Radtke
I don’t think this is a situation where Katharina is trying to spread misinformation – but she does, like many hydrogen fans, seem to be misinformed.
See, when you fill up a storage tank with a gas like H or CNG, the gas heats up as it’s quickly forced into the tank, causing it to expand. That means the same amount of fuel takes up more physical space hot than it does cold – and, as the gas in the tank gradually cools down, it contracts, leaving empty space in the tank.
That means you can “fast fill” a hydrogen tank to 100% in a few minutes, but it’ll eventually settle back down to about 75-80% full, even if you don’t drive anywhere. You’ll then have to “slow fill” the remaining capacity to avoid a similar expansion – and that can take hours.
You can see an example of this phenomenon, below, in this interactive infographic from the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC).
Electrek’s Take
In case you can’t read between the lines, filling a tank with hydrogen isn’t any faster than filling a battery with electricity, and even the most cryo-compressed hydrogen tanks can’t get too far past a 90% fast fill … and they have other problems with boil off, leaks, etc. All of which sort of begs the question: why make the switch to hydrogen at all?
Back in January, MAN Trucks’ CEO, Alexander Vlaskamp, told reporters that it was, “impossible for hydrogen to effectively compete with battery electric trucks.” Vlaskamp added, “Today you cannot buy hydrogen for less than 13 or 14 euros … and it is not green. And when we have green hydrogen it will be needed for the heavy industry of steel, cement, or plastic.”
So — if all that’s true, why is MAN, like BMW, continuing to invest in hydrogen-powered vehicle programs? “Only to test our hypothesis,” says Vlaskamp (emphasis mine). “We may use hydrogen for transportation in 2035, but only if there is enough green hydrogen at the right price and the necessary infrastructure is in place.”
To ensure it has enough H, BMW will install a mile-long network of underground pipes, with six decentralized H filling stations, between now and Q1 of 2026. “Once the conversion is completed, our annual hydrogen consumption will be around 150 tonnes,” says Radtke.
Here’s hoping BMW can get a better deal than 14 euros for dirty fuel by then.
SOURCE | IMAGES: BMW.
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For the second time, a judge strikes down Elon Musk’s $55 billion Tesla CEO pay package as the company struggles to avoid seeing its sales slip year over year for the first time. Plus: an all-new look for Jaguar this Giving Tuesday on Quick Charge!
We’ve also got record EV sales from both Kia and Hyundai, with the latter seeing IONIQ 5 sales double over last year, more Tesla discounts in China AND North America, and more.
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Read more: Renault E-Tech T semi truck gets 600 km range for ’25, logs 19 million miles.
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“Tesla could not meet program standards” on Oklahoma’s NEVI EV charger installation program, so EVgo took over.
As Electrek originally reported in April, Oklahoma approved more than $8 million in federal funds for Tesla, Love’s Travel Stops, and Francis Energy to build DC fast chargers along its interstates.
The three companies were to provide a combined $7 million in private funding match to build 13 DC fast charging stations. The first round of awards would complete the buildout of I-35, I-40, and I-44 as Alternative Fuel Corridors.
Tesla was supposed to install three Superchargers at the I-44 exit 240 in Catoosa, the I-40 exit 240B in Henryetta, and the I-44 exit 125B in Oklahoma City. In order to qualify for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funding, they had to be equipped with Magic Docks – that is, CCS compatibility.
However, OK Energy Today reports that Oklahoma Transportation Commissioners unanimously approved replacing Tesla with second-place EVgo yesterday.
Jared Schennesen, multi-modal division manager to the nine commissioners, said:
Tesla could not meet program standards for the gap awarded along I-44 in Oklahoma City.
Due to not meeting the program requirements, ODOT required that the award be revoked from Tesla as direct[ed] by state procurement rules and awarded to second-place finisher EVgo for this gap.
Schennesen didn’t specify exactly how Tesla couldn’t meet the program standards, but the article goes on to note that EVgo reduced its costs considerably compared to what Tesla’s project costs were:
EVgo won the award for a total of $519,740, and Schennesen said it reduced the total project cost by $317,932. The federal share of the project will increase by $201,781 bringing the final total to $801,780.
EVgo has more than 1,000 DC fast charging locations in 40 states and serves over 65 metropolitan areas.
Oklahoma’s NEVI EV charger installation program, EVOK, is responsible for spending $66 million from 2022-27 in NEVI Formula Program funds to create a state EV charging network. The federal NEVI program allocates $5 billion over five years to help US states create a network of EV charging stations. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The NEVI program requires EV charging stations to be available every 50 miles and within one travel mile of the Alternative Fuel Corridor. EV charging stations must include at least four ports with connectors capable of simultaneously charging four EVs at 150 kilowatts (kW) each, with a total station power capacity of 600 kW or more.
The charging stations must have 24-hour public accessibility and provide amenities like restrooms, food and beverage, and shelter.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) says it will loan up to $7.54 billion to a Stellantis and Samsung SDI joint venture to help build two EV lithium-ion battery plants in Indiana.
Stellantis + Samsung EV battery plants loan
The joint venture is called StarPlus Energy LLC, and its huge project will create huge job growth: at least 2,800 jobs at the plants, plus hundreds more for parts suppliers at a nearby park.
At full capacity, the plants will produce about 67 GWh of batteries for Stellantis EVs in Kokomo, enough to supply about 670,000 vehicles annually, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office said. Stellantis said yesterday that the first plant will open in early 2025 and the second in 2027.
To secure the loan, StarPlus needs to implement its Community Benefits Plan, which includes working with community and labor leaders to create well-paying jobs. It’s unclear whether the loan will be able to be finalized before Donald Trump takes office on January 20, but according to the Associated Press, the DOE said “it would be irresponsible for ‘any government to turn its back on private sector partners, states, and communities that are benefiting from lower energy costs and new economic opportunities’ from the loans.”
Electrek’s Take
Since Trump is threatening tariffs all over the place to stimulate domestic manufacturing, it would be pretty dumb if he attempted to kill this loan. The DOE anticipates this and makes a point of saying in its announcement that “the project will greatly expand EV battery manufacturing capacity in North America and reduce America’s reliance on adversarial foreign nations like China, as well as other foreign sourcing of EV batteries.”
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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