BMW unveiled a hydrogen-powered BMW i8 prototype that showcases its "i" sub-brand's future. The German automaker also confirmed it is working on bringing fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to mass production by the end of the decade.
BMW's i8 hybrid sports car is already futuristic by today's standards. But a recently-unveiled prototype takes this a few notches higher.
#BMW i8's future revealed by hydrogen fuel cell research vehicle - https://t.co/yqgH6jkQs4 pic.twitter.com/dGRRLydidQ
— Auto Express (@AutoExpress) July 3, 2015
"Using the standard i8's body and carbonfibre construction as a base, the unnamed prototype throws out the existing rear-mounted 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine in place of a fuel cell stack," Auto Express wrote.
The unveiling was made during BMW's "Group Innovation Days" at its testing grounds in France.
Apart from packing a new engine under the hood, the BMW i8 prototype sports different styling as well. The rear end is different from the standard i8 and is fitted for aerodynamic purposes. As Top Gear puts it, "there's more than a whiff of 'Terminator/Mad Max'-spec, future-Armageddon styling about it."
Performance-wise, the hydrogen-powered i8 can do 0 to 62 mph in around six seconds and tops out at 124 mph. It has 268 bhp and an estimated range of over 300 miles.
What's interesting is that the prototype isn't exactly new. BMW built the hydrogen-powered i8 back in 2012 and has kept its existence top secret until now.
"The length of its existence [shows] how far BMW's fuel cell technology has come, evident in a recent confirmation that BMW will begin large-scale production of a hydrogen car by 2020," Auto Express said.
Last month, the website's source confirmed the German automaker is indeed working to mass produce hydrogen cars by the end of the decade.
"We are betting on the second generation of the technology being right for production, so our target is 2020," the source said.
No specific model has been confirmed to receive fuel cell technology but "suspicions naturally fall on its 'i' brand."
In 2013, BMW teamed up with Toyota to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology. As a result, the technology found in the BMW i8 prototype, along with the 5 Series GT FCEV unveiled at the event, is shared with the Toyota Mirai FCV which is set to hit the US market later this year.
