First hydrogen-operated BMW iX5 Hydrogen models hit the road

The wait is over – the first BMW iX5 Hydrogen-powered vehicles are now on the roads. In the course of the year, the pilot fleet will be used worldwide by various target groups for trial and demonstration purposes. The hydrogen fuel cell system has been developed and produced by BMW

The BMW Group is systematically advancing the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology as a future option for the locally emissions-free individual mobility of the future.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is produced in the pilot plant in the Munich Research and Innovation Centre, or FIZ for short. Specialists in hydrogen technology, vehicle development and initial assembly of new models are working together closely to integrate the innovative drive and energy storage technology in the case of BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

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Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW also emphasised the importance of this innovative drive system: “Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play in the energy transition process and therefore in climate protection.We should use this potential to also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector.”

Fuel cell systems: Know all about tech developed by BMW

The BMW Group has developed special hydrogen components for the new fuel cell system to complement technological analogies to the combustion engine such as the intercooler, air filter, control units and sensor technology.

The BMW Group’s tech, in this process, will see a chemical reaction taking place in the fuel cell between the gaseous hydrogen from the tanks and the oxygen from the ambient air. A uniform supply of these two media to the membrane in the fuel cell is crucial for high drive efficiency.

The Group receives individual fuel cells from the Toyota Motor Corporation. These two companies have been collaborating successfully for many years, and have been working together on fuel cell drives since as early as 2013.

Rapid refuelling

In combination with a highly-integrated drive unit in the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology on the rear axis, as well as high-performance battery developed specifically for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen with lithium-ion technology, the powertrain of this vehicle brings maximum output of 295 kW / 401 hp to the road. In drive and brake phases, this electric machine also takes on the function of a generator that feeds power back into a high-performance battery.

The gaseous hydrogen required to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Together, they hold six kilograms of hydrogen, giving the BMW iX5 Hydrogen a range of 504 km in the WLTP cycle. Refuelling the hydrogen tanks takes only three to four minutes, meaning that the BMW iX5 Hydrogen delivers the driving pleasure you expect from BMW with just a few, short interim stops, even on long routes.

Hydrogen as an energy source of the future

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), hydrogen brings significant potential as an energy source of the future in the framework of global activities geared toward the energy transition.