More funding for hydrogen in the tank

18.11.2025

Source: E & M powernews

New boost for hydrogen mobility in Bavaria: €273 million for BMW and a €35 million program for H2 trucks to accelerate expansion.

The south-eastern German state and the federal government are stepping up their support for hydrogen-based vehicle technology. As the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on November 14, both sides are jointly investing 273 million euros in the "HyPowerDrive" project of Munich-based car manufacturer BMW.

The funding is intended to enable the development of a new drive system for hydrogen-powered cars, which BMW plans to bring into series production in 2028. The car manufacturer plans to embed the technology in the architecture of a battery-electric vehicle and thus use joint production structures. BMW sees this as a way to reduce costs and establish hydrogen as a complement to battery-electric mobility.

According to the state ministry, the state support is divided between 191 million euros from Berlin and 82 million euros from Bavaria. State Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) explained in Berlin that the technology now belongs on the road in order to accelerate the introduction of hydrogen-powered vehicles.

35 million for hydrogen in the truck sector

Following the presentation of the funding certificate, the Munich Ministry announced a further program for commercial vehicles. Bavaria is planning a 35 million euro program to support the purchase of hydrogen-powered trucks. This is aimed at all vehicle classes, from light vans to heavy trucks. The funding covers both fuel cell vehicles and H2 burners and is intended to cover up to 80 percent of the additional investment costs.

According to Aiwanger, Bavaria is thus sending out a signal for more technological openness. Depending on the application scenario, hydrogen could be a sensible form of drive. With the new truck program, the Free State also wants to ensure higher utilization of the hydrogen filling stations that are being built. This infrastructure is currently being developed in parallel with projects in the field of electrolysis and the filling station network, as reported by the ministry.

Both announcements by the Ministry of Economic Affairs illustrate the Free State's strategy of establishing hydrogen as part of future mobility. The combination of industrial development projects and targeted vehicle funding is intended to stimulate the market and increase the number of potential operators. Aiwanger pointed out that Germany had to make up ground in international comparison in order to avoid becoming dependent on Asian manufacturers.

Author: Davina Spohn