© Intelligent Energy

BMW has begun replacing battery-powered automated guided vehicles (AGVs) at its Leipzig assembly plant with 130 hydrogen fuel cell units supplied by Intelligent Energy, following a three-year trial of retrofitted systems.

Hydrogen deployment reflects wider industrial trends

The transition highlights rising interest in hydrogen-based equipment in industrial logistics, where manufacturers aim to reduce downtime and maintain zero-emission operations without relying on extensive charging infrastructure. BMW has integrated hydrogen technologies at Leipzig for several years, and the new fleet marks its largest commitment to fuel cell intralogistics so far. Earlier this year, BMW has announced that they will build a dedicated hydrogen pipeline to the Leipzig plant.

AGV performance and rollout schedule

The AGVs, developed with Austrian automation group DS Automotion, are the first designed specifically around Intelligent Energy’s IE-POWER fuel cell system. BMW said earlier trials showed the fuel-cell units operated for longer periods and could be refuelled within seconds, avoiding the interruptions associated with battery charging. The automaker expects higher availability to reduce its AGV fleet size by roughly 20 per cent without affecting plant throughput.

Fifty of the 130 units are already in use, with the remainder due within six months. More than half of the current AGV fleet runs on hydrogen, and BMW plans a full conversion. The Leipzig plant employs 6,800 people and produces about 1,300 vehicles per day.

Company views on fuel cell performance

David Fields, head of product line at Intelligent Energy, described the Leipzig deployment as the firm’s “most comprehensive use case” in material handling and said “uptime and reliability are critical” in such environments.
Dr Stefan Fenchel, sustainability project lead at the plant, said the fuel-cell units helped avoid recharging downtime, resulting in “a more flexible fleet delivering optimised performance.”

Broader implications for hydrogen in manufacturing

The shift aligns with BMW’s broader investment in hydrogen, including plans to launch a series-production fuel cell vehicle in 2028 with Toyota. While hydrogen uptake in industry continues to depend on refueling infrastructure and cost conditions, the Leipzig project shows how high utilization rates and rapid refueling can make fuel cells commercially relevant in round-the-clock manufacturing operations.