BMW starts production of small-series hydrogen-powered iX5

As part of its ‘Power of Choice’ stance when it comes to power trains of the future, the BMW Group is starting production of a small series of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen model. Manufacture is taking place in the pilot plant at its Munich Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ).

The hydrogen model has already completed an intensive programme of testing and will now be used as a technology demonstrator for locally carbon-free mobility in selected regions from 2023.

“Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play as we progress towards climate neutrality,” said Frank Weber, member of the board of management of BMW responsible for development.

The hydrogen model has been developed on the platform of the BMW X5. BMW doesn’t provide technical details but the iX5 is reputed to make around 125kW of power (with 275kW available for short bursts) with a driving range of around 500km.  

An advantage that hydrogen has over a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is that it takes about three to four minutes to fill up the carbon-fibre hydrogen tanks that store six kilograms of compressed hydrogen in the iX5, while it takes at least an hour to fill a BEV using a high-power DC charger.