Hydrogen remains to be on BMW’s roadmap. With a manufacturing hydrogen-powered car set for 2028, the dialog round various fuels at BMW Group is heating up once more. A lot of the consideration to this point has gone to the iX5 Hydrogen SUV—however this isn’t BMW’s first dance with H₂. In actual fact, greater than 20 years in the past, MINI quietly rolled out its personal hydrogen-powered prototype. And it was loads cooler than you would possibly count on.
The 2001 MINI Cooper Hydrogen: A Forgotten Experiment
Unveiled on the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Present, the MINI Cooper Hydrogen didn’t depend on fuel-cell wizardry like as we speak’s hydrogen EVs. As a substitute, it used good old style inner combustion—simply with cryogenic liquid hydrogen as a substitute of gasoline. Beneath the hood sat a modified model of MINI’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, tailored to burn hydrogen because of a novel injection course of.
Right here’s the trick: as a substitute of warming the hydrogen to ambient temperature earlier than combustion (the usual on the time), engineers injected it whereas it was nonetheless super-cooled. That denser air-fuel combination boosted engine effectivity and efficiency, placing it nearer to what drivers anticipated from an everyday petrol MINI. Even the packaging was intelligent. As a substitute of awkward cylindrical tanks that eat into cabin area, this MINI tucked its contoured hydrogen tank beneath the rear seats—taking on no extra room than a traditional fuel tank. It was one of many earliest examples of attempting to make various gasoline tech invisible to the tip consumer.
Extra Than a One-Off: BMW Saved Tinkering
MINI’s hydrogen story didn’t finish with the 2001 idea. BMW engineers saved enjoying with the concept, utilizing 1 Sequence hatchbacks and Clubman our bodies to check hybrid hydrogen setups. One notably formidable prototype mixed a small 5kW hydrogen gasoline cell with supercapacitors and a rear-mounted electrical motor. The consequence? A MINI that might drive its rear wheels utilizing clear electrical energy in metropolis facilities, whereas the entrance wheels stayed powered by a traditional petrol engine. Collectively, the 2 programs might even ship brief bursts of all-wheel-drive punch.
A Future Hydrogen MINI?
Unlikely. Immediately, the concept of a hydrogen-powered MINI could be a detour on the highway to full electrification. BMW has typically said that the know-how makes principally sense for bigger automobiles, so seeing a hydrogen-powered MINI or perhaps a 1 Sequence hatchback is way fetched. However it’s cool to see that these homegrown tasks ultimately find yourself someplace. The 2001 MINI Cooper Hydrogen wasn’t some half-baked science honest challenge. It was a severe engineering experiment with real-world potential—and in some methods, it was forward of its time. BMW Group has lengthy believed that hydrogen might complement battery electrical autos, and with hydrogen again within the highlight, the longer term can be fascinating.
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