First Hydrogen Trucks for BMW Group Transport Logistics

The BMW Group has acquired two zero-emission fuel cell trucks, as it launches a pilot operation as part of the European H2Haul project, which is aimed at promoting hydrogen mobility in freight transport.

The two zero-emission fuel cell trucks will run between Leipzig, Landsberg and Nuremberg, in order to trial the practicality of this technology. To allow serial operation, two state-of-the-art hydrogen fuelling stations are being built in Leipzig and Hormersdorf. They allow rapid refuelling with large quantities of hydrogen, which is crucial to the continuous use of fuel cell trucks in the logistics sector.

Two of 16 trucks subsidised in Europe will drive for BMW Group Logistics

The aim of the H2Haul project is to test hydrogen trucks with fuel cell drivetrains under realistic conditions, and to investigate the important contribution they can make to decarbonising heavy traffic. Testing this technology will pave the way for the commercialisation of fuel cell trucks in Europe. Funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, a total of 16 trucks will run in various European countries, including two IVECO S-eWay Fuel Cell trucks operated within Germany by BMW Group Logistics. Short refuelling times and longer ranges mean hydrogen trucks can represent an important addition to E-trucks, which are also in use at the BMW Group, on long routes. Another attribute worth emphasising is the flexible logistical operation of H₂-trucks, without having to put a charging infrastructure in place or expand a network.

BMW Group Strategy for Reduced Logistics Emissions

Participation in the H2Haul project, with the practical use of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in long-distance and heavy transport, is part of the BMW Group Strategy for Reduced Logistics Emissions and an important step towards achieving the BMW Group’s own climate goals on the road to zero-emission transport logistics. The cross-departmental “Reduced Logistics Emissions” team develops concepts to reduce CO₂ across all global BMW Group transport, whether by road, rail or ship.

Hydrogen vehicles also used in intralogistics in Leipzig

Within the BMW Group, the Leipzig plant has for years played a pioneering role in the use of hydrogen in logistics. In 2013, the first indoor hydrogen fuel station in Germany was built on the grounds of the plant in Leipzig. Forklifts and tugger trains for internal plant logistics can be refuelled there. Over ten years later, the Leipzig plant possesses one of the largest fleets in Europe, with over 200 fuel cell-powered industrial trucks. Nowadays, five hydrogen fuel stations are located on the grounds of the plant, the newest of which allows fully-automated refuelling for the first time.

Use of flexible hydrogen burners in the paintshop

BMW Group Plant Leipzig is the first automobile plant in the world to operate a newly developed burner technology, which can use both natural gas and hydrogen, in its paintshop. Five bivalent, hydrogen-capable burners are currently used when applying the contrast roof paint on the MINI Countryman. Other burners in the paintshop are gradually being converted, so that there will be no need to use natural gas at all in the long term. This makes the Leipzig plant a pioneer in the automobile industry and takes another step towards reducing CO₂ emissions.

First hydrogen-powered BMW production model in 2028

As part of its holistic approach and after the successful global testing of the pilot fleet of BMW iX5 Hydrogen vehicles, it is now preparing to start the series production of vehicles with hydrogen drivetrain in 2028.