Is hydrogen the future for cars? Manufacturers haven’t given up on it yet
By 
Julia Robinson2025-01-21T09:30:00
Zero-emissions cars are dominated by batteries but some carmakers think hydrogen still has a part to play
Announcing the 2028 launch of its first hydrogen-powered fuel-cell electric car (FCEV) – the iX5 Hydrogen – BMW described hydrogen cars as the ‘missing piece’ in the sustainable mobility jigsaw. And it’s easy to understand the excitement. On paper fuel cell cars have all the environmental benefits of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with the added perk that they can be fuelled in three to four minutes.
But while BMW, and several other car manufacturers remain optimistic that hydrogen will be the next big thing for greener motoring, others think that the race has already been run.
‘Ten years ago, it was a reasonable question to ask would the future of decarbonised road transport involve hydrogen? says Frank Hodgson, a senior energy analyst at Regen, who provides independent energy systems expertise to assist the UK’s journey to net zero.