Intelligent Energy fuel cells power BMW’s next-generation logistics fleet

The German plant is BMW’s test bed for pioneering manufacturing automation and employs AGVs extensively in intralogistics – the movement of materials and components throughout the factory. 

Developed in collaboration with Austrian autonomous vehicle specialist DS Automotion, the new AGVs are the first to be designed from the ground up around Intelligent Energy’s proprietary IE-POWER fuel cell system. 

The deployment follows a successful three-year trial in which battery-powered AGVs retrofitted with Intelligent Energy fuel cells showed greater reliability, efficiency and environmental performance.

Powered by green hydrogen, the AGVs operated for longer than their battery predecessors, and their ability to refuel in seconds eliminated lengthy charging stops. With minimal downtime, the hydrogen AGVs offered greater operational flexibility, allowing BMW to reduce the total fleet size by 20%. This was achieved while still delivering zero-emission performance – supporting BMW’s efforts to cut downtime and strengthen its sustainability strategy.

Fifty of the new AGVs have been delivered to Leipzig and are already in use. The remaining units will enter service within the next six months.

"The three-year trial with BMW is the most comprehensive case study yet for our hydrogen fuel cells in an AGV application and the results speak for themselves," said David Fields, head of IE-POWER Stationary and Standby Power Solutions at Intelligent Energy.

"Fuel cells are well suited to material handling and intralogistics, where uptime and reliability are critical. BMW’s decision to adopt a purpose-built hydrogen fleet powered by our systems at one of the world’s most advanced car plants is a strong endorsement of their efficiency, reliability and performance."

All Intelligent Energy’s UK-developed fuel cells feature a patented air-cooling system that delivers class-leading energy density in a compact, lightweight package. Its IE-POWER fuel cells can also be found in forklifts, access platforms and other warehousing and material handling machinery. 

Built in 2005, and backed by €5bn of investment, BMW Leipzig is one of the world’s most advanced car production plants. The plant employs 6,800 people and produces about 1,300 cars each day.

"The fuel cell AGVs proved their value during the trial, particularly in overcoming the recharging downtime that limits battery systems. By removing this constraint, we now have a more flexible fleet that we have been able to reduce in size by 20% - a clear gain in efficiency," said Stefan Fenchel, project lead sustainability, BMW Group Plant Leipzig. 

"This new fleet of hydrogen AGVs marks another step in BMW’s commitment to zero-emission manufacturing technologies and supports our goal of setting the benchmark for sustainable intralogistics."

www.intelligent-energy.com