Here’s When BMW and Toyota Will Launch New Fuel-Cell Vehicles

• Toyota and BMW reveal that they will collaborate on a next-gen hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain, which will be used in production Toyota and BMW models.

• BMW recently built a demo fleet of some 100 iX5 Hydrogen FCEV models, after decades of smaller-volume efforts that included some 7-Series sedans.

• Toyota's Mirai sedan has seen only limited success stateside, largely due to a very narrow hydrogen network.

BMW and Toyota have been working on hydrogen fuel-cell technology separately and together for decades now. And despite the slowly growing popularity of battery-electric models—as well as some setbacks relating to hydrogen stations—the two haven't given up.

Now, the automakers have revealed plans to launch series-production fuel-cell electric vehicles in 2028. Specifically, the duo plan to collaborate on a next-gen powertrain system for FCEVs, with plans to launch individual models under their own respective brands.

"Customers can expect the BMW and Toyota FCEV models to maintain their distinct brand identities and characteristics, providing them with individual FCEV options to choose from," BMW said.

But just where BMW and Toyota will offer these FCEVs remains to be revealed at a later date. So we wouldn't get in line just yet, especially if you live in the US.

You may recall that BMW recently fielded the iX5 Hydrogen SUV, based closely on the X5. However, this was still termed a pilot fleet, with around 100 units produced solely for demonstration purposes. Years prior, BMW has experimented with hydrogen combustion engines, including in the E38 and E65 7-Series sedans.

But those earlier experiments did not really move the needle when it comes to modern hydrogen efforts, or market acceptance, having taken place before hydrogen stations started popping up in parts of California.

As with the iX5 Hydrogen, the next-gen BMW model will be based on an existing platform and body style, and even four years before its launch you can probably guess that it's likely to be an SUV.

Toyota, for its part, has been offering the FCEV Mirai sedan stateside for a number of years, albeit in a very narrow region and not without controversy that now includes nothing short of a class-action lawsuit.

However, if the Mirai is any indication, Toyota still has the will to launch uniquely styled vehicle with FCEV powertrains, even in the EV age.

"In our long history of partnership, we have confirmed that BMW and Toyota share the same passion for cars and belief in 'technology openness' and a 'multi-pathway' approach to carbon neutrality," said Koji Sato, president and member of the Board of Management (Representative Director), Toyota Motor Corporation.

Still, BMW calls FCEVs a "locally zero-emission technology" to get ahead of some criticism of fossil-fuel-intensive production methods that involve methane.

BMW and Toyota aren't the only ones still carrying the torch for hydrogen; Hyundai and Honda have developed their own models as well—with Japan and South Korea having made some strides in hydrogen infrastructure over the past few years.

In fact, the latest FCEV model on the market has come from Honda.

It remains to be seen just how much North America's hydrogen network will be able to grow by 2028, but don't expect any miracle that will suddenly make a cross-country FCEV trip possible on a whim or remotely desirable.

Will FCEVs see some growth in the second half of the decade, or is this a dead-end technology that will eventually be overtaken completely by EVs? Let us know what you think in the comments below.