According to reports on Autoblog and Autopia, BMW is working on a new hydrogen hybrid powertrain that could be incorporated into some of their future products. Bolted into a 1 Serieshatchback, this advanced eco-friendly unit consists of a conventional internal combustion engine that’s been mated to a 5kW fuel cell and an 82kW electric motor. Obviously the latter will be used in and around town to help cut down on noise and C02 emissions, while out the highway the more powerful internal combustion engine will kick in for an effortless cruising experience.

Powered primarily by hydrogen fuel cells, any excess energy built up by the electric motor or harnessed through the car’s regenerative braking system will be stored in a bank of ultracapacitors. BMW has yet to release any more information about this hybrid system but going on the above schematic, it’s safe to say that the front wheels will be powered by the internal combustion engine and the rears by the electronic motor. Spy shots of the car have been published, so go and check them out at Autoblog.