BMW and the research into hydrogen technologies
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In order to search for new ideas not only in Germany but also elsewhere, the division has so-called "tech" or "liaison" offices in two other markets: the USA (Palo Alto in Silicon Valley and South Carolina) and Japan (Tokyo). These branch offices work closely with local elite universities, research facilities and high-tech firms in order to identify new trends and technologies not just within the car industry. These comprehensive networks are one of the main reasons for the BMW Group's innovativeness and allow it access to an almost inexhaustible pool of ideas.
Like many other BMW employees, Michael Stöcklin, responsible for hydrogen safety and infrastructure projects in the clean energy division, has also worked abroad. He spent two and a half years away from the company's headquarters in Munich working at the technology office in Tokyo. The Japanese subsidiary was founded in 1981, and within a short period of time the market grew so quickly that it is now an indispensable part of the innovation network. BMW Japan Corp. now employs 265 people, and the research and development department at BMW's Japan office has three different functions: technology observation, development, and test and concept examination.
Close cooperation with companies and universities in the Japanese market means that knowledge concerning new technologies is exchanged early on, and individual components such as navigation systems or automatic highway toll booking systems are specially developed for the BMW Group in Japan, with the focus on electronics and software. The local development department supplies the necessary know-how on local partner care and takes care of the flow of information to and from the head office in Munich, while the test and concept examination department safeguards the quality of BMW Group vehicles in Japan.
It is important to test all individual products in their respective environments due to the different country-specific conditions with respect to climate and use. Michael Stöcklin was responsible for the evaluation of Japanese hydrogen technologies and the identification of hydrogen development projects. Hydrogen is considered an important source of energy in Japan, as the country, in contrast to the USA or Europe, has no energy raw materials of its own and is therefore dependent on imports.
Says Stöcklin: "In the country of electronics of software, hydrogen is a subject of constant discussion. Japan, with its numerous development programmes, is backing hydrogen more than any other country, leading to a hydrogen boom. At the same time, the programmes are providing conclusive evidence of the technology's suitability for everyday use."
A boom with consequences
Environmentally friendly hydrogen technologies are characterized in the case of vehicles by the fact that exhaust emissions contain no carbon dioxide. Instead, only innocuous steam is produced, decisively improving air quality. These alternative energy sources make themselves especially felt in conurbations such as Tokyo and contribute significantly to environmental protection.
Japan began promoting hydrogen technologies back in 1993 with a project that concluded in 2002 with the opening of three hydrogen service stations in Osaka, Takamatsu and Tokai. On a global scale, Japan is the country where hydrogen technology is advancing fastest.
"Hydrogen research has come an astonishingly long way during the last two decades, with Japan, alongside Canada, Germany and the USA, among the leading countries in this field", says Stöcklin.
In order to further expand the research and development strengths of the Japanese market, knowledge concerning new technologies is exchanged early on, and this is ensured by close collaboration with universities and other companies. Furthermore, Japanese companies are aware of the importance of nurturing international contacts, so that they win more and more research projects for the country. In addition they are very open to new technologies, even when they are not yet fully developed. This is also the reason, according to Stöcklin, why Japan invests far more money in hydrogen projects than the EU, for example.
When it comes to hydrogen technology, Japan has long since completed the trial phase.
Stöcklin says: "Although up until a few years ago the use of hydrogen-driven vehicles in public transportation was subject to severe restrictions, changes in the law have meant that 12 hydrogen filling stations have now been opened in the Tokyo area, and these are used by around 50 hydrogen vehicles."
The Japanese have also set themselves ambitious targets for the coming years. For example, by 2010 Japan aims to have 50,000 fuel cell vehicles, and 10 years later, more than five million, with 4000 filling stations supplying them with the required energy.
Currently, the world's first fuel-cell-driven train is being tested in Japan, and by the middle of next year this environmentally friendly train will be in use on regular lines according to JR East, Japan's largest train company. The new train will use an estimated 20 percent less energy than its conventional counterpart.
Hydrogen as the energy of the future is not without its challenges. However, there is no alternative. If fossil fuels are to be replaced in the future by hydrogen, measures need to be taken today. Currently the market and its mechanisms are not promoting the use of hydrogen sufficiently, and it is therefore all the more incumbent on business, politicians, and society to work together to ensure the use of hydrogen alongside conventional fuels on a global scale.
For this reason the BMW Group has undertaken a wide-ranging study of the legal framework required for the use of hydrogen as a fuel. Its conclusion: hydrogen will only succeed as a fuel when the legal requirements are comparable with those that apply to competing fuels.