BMW and Toyota signed an agreement back in 2012, according to which the two companies were to unite efforts on hydrogen car R&D. The Bavarian automaker now plans to capitalize on this by turning its X5 SUV model into a new production car called the i Hydrogen Next.
The agreement involved Toyota providing BMW with components of its own make, but the German company now claims it has established its own production line and won’t be needing imports. The LuTZ Centre has just reported starting the production of electrochemical generator end plates and fuel cell casings.
The i Hydrogen Next will first emerge in a limited run in 2022 and a larger production batch three years after that. BMW already has a suitable electric motor for it in its iX3 model, which churns out 374 PS (369 hp / 275 kW) and drives the rear wheels.