
BMW’s Regensburg plant is switching its internal logistics to hydrogen
The BMW Group’s Regensburg plant is gradually converting its internal logistics operations to hydrogen. The focus of the transition is on the forklift trucks and other industrial trucks, which the plant has hitherto operated using battery power. Bavaria’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger, and Plant Manager Armin Ebner officially launched the transformation on 19 June 2026. The aim is to convert the entire intralogistics fleet – comprising several hundred vehicles – to hydrogen propulsion by 2031.
New hydrogen infrastructure for the plant
A dedicated hydrogen infrastructure is currently being built at the plant to refuel the vehicles. This includes a pipeline network approximately six kilometres long, six decentralised refuelling stations and a central buffer storage facility. Following the commissioning of the first refuelling station, the remaining five stations are set to follow by the end of October. As a first step, around 85 hydrogen-powered logistics vehicles will be put into service at the plant. The plan is to convert the entire intralogistics fleet, comprising around 320 industrial trucks, to hydrogen by 2031.
Longer operating times thanks to new drive technology
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the switch is bringing about a noticeable change in operational processes. With the battery-electric forklift trucks used to date, the battery had to be changed twice during each nine-hour shift, with each change taking around 15 minutes. With the switch to hydrogen, a single refuelling is sufficient, which, according to the Ministry, takes around three minutes. This means the vehicles can be used for longer and with fewer interruptions. Furthermore, the space previously required for battery changes – which amounted to around 800 square metres at the plant – is no longer needed.
Aiwanger: An open approach to technology in the expansion of renewable energy
At the commissioning ceremony, Minister for Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger highlighted the practical applicability of hydrogen in commercial use. With the new hydrogen network, BMW is demonstrating that the technology is already working in practical operational settings. He emphasised the Bavarian State Government’s technology-neutral approach to the further expansion of renewable energy and highlighted the Free State’s existing funding programmes for hydrogen refuelling stations and electrolysers. He cited the conversion of the logistics fleet at the Regensburg site as a potential example for other companies.
The BMW Group plant in Regensburg is one of the car manufacturer’s larger production sites in Bavaria. The conversion of the intralogistics system, which has now begun, is scheduled to take several years and will be carried out in stages, starting with the first refuelling station to be commissioned and the first batch of around 85 vehicles.
Source: https://www.bayern.de/bmw-werk-regensburg-stellt-innerbetriebliche-logistik-auf-wasserstoff-um/





































