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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Germany is about to become home to Europe’s largest battery storage system – a massive 1 gigawatt (GW) / 4 gigawatt-hour (GWh) project in Jänschwalde, Brandenburg.
LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH, a subsidiary of US-based Fluence Energy (NASDAQ: FLNC), are teaming up to build the “GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000.” The four-hour system will use Fluence’s Smartstack technology, its latest large-scale energy storage solution.
Once complete, Europe’s largest battery storage project will play a key role in stabilizing Germany’s grid and storing renewable power for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. It’s designed to deliver essential grid services, support energy trading, and boost energy security as the country phases out fossil fuels.
LEAG’s broader “GigawattFactory” plan combines solar and wind farms with flexible power plants and large-scale batteries across Germany’s Lusatian energy region. “By constructing gigascale storage facilities, we’re addressing one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition: ensuring constant power regardless of the availability of renewable energies,” said Adi Roesch, CEO of the LEAG Group.
Fluence CEO Julian Nebreda described the project as a “milestone for the energy future of Germany and Europe,” adding that it demonstrates how collaboration and cutting-edge technology can “transform the foundation of our economy and our everyday lives.”
The German government recently reaffirmed the importance of storage in building a secure and affordable clean power system. With this 4 GWh giant, LEAG and Fluence are implementing that priority in one of Europe’s most coal-heavy regions.
Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2
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![The Genesis GV90 is shaping up to be a real stunner [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Genesis-GV90-ultra-luxury-SUV.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The GV90 will be the brand’s largest, most luxurious SUV yet. With its official debut coming up, a production version of the Genesis GV90 was spotted in public for the first time, offering a closer look at the stunning SUV.
The Genesis GV90 is a stunning flagship SUV
Genesis vehicles already have a unique design that’s hard to miss. The big Creste Grille, Two-Line Quad Lamps, and smooth character lines offer a refined, luxurious look, but Genesis is planning to take it to the next level with the GV90.
The GV90 is an “ultra-luxe, state-of-the-art SUV,” according to Genesis. It will be the luxury brand’s new flagship vehicle and first full-size electric SUV.
We got our first look at the flagship SUV last March after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the New York Auto Show.
The GV90 has been spotted out in public several times now, even flashing high-end features like coach doors and adaptive air suspension, but now, we are finally getting our first look at the production version in real life.
A new video from HealerTV shows the production version of the Genesis GV90 in action. Although it’s still covered in camo, you can see a few slight design changes from the concept shown last year.
The headlights and grille appear closer in design to its current vehicles, but other than that, the GV90 looks essentially the same up front as the Neolun concept.
Since it’s still covered, it’s hard to see where the headlights are connected at this point. From the side and rear, the GV90 looks identical to the concept.
Genesis has yet to announce an official launch date, but the GV90 could debut by the end of the year with sales expected to kick off in mid-2026.
The flagship SUV is rumoured to be the first vehicle to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which it claims will “provide 50% improvement in driving range” compared to its current EVs. It will also serve as a tech beacon, featuring Hyundai’s most advanced connectivity and safety tech.
We will learn official prices and final specs soon, but one thing is for sure: it won’t be cheap. The Genesis GV90 is expected to start at around $100,000, but higher trims could cost significantly more with added features and options.
Genesis is also introducing its first hybrid, the GV80, next year, followed by its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) based on the GV70. The EREV is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. There’s also an off-road SUV in the works, which will likely arrive as a 2027 model.
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