The BMW i Hydrogen Next concept from IAA 2019 has evolved into a production model – the BMW iX5 Hydrogen. Last week, I saw the finished product on display at the 2024 Paris Motor Show and took the opportunity to explore all its details. Here’s what I learned about the new BMW that only emits water vapor:
Design & Features
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is an alternative energy variant of the fourth-gen BMW X5 (BMW G05). It looks like the donor model for the most part, except for the tweaks to highlight its BMW i model line identity.
At the front, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen has a sharper bumper and an exclusive mesh pattern for the BMW kidney grille and the lower air intake grille. The kidney grille has no vertical slats for a clean look, although the mesh pattern is in stark contrast. The “i” logo and the blue accents communicate the SUV’s connection with the BMW i brand. Even the bottom section of the bumper carries blue accents.
The parts covering the BMW kidney grille, the lower air intake, and the two outer air inlets, and the lower rear-end trim’s body elements come from BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Campus. This facility uses 3D printing to produce prototype and standard parts, and it can make even components having geometric shapes that are not possible to make with conventional production methods.
On the sides, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen gets the iX’s 22-inch Individual 1021-style aerodynamic alloy wheels, but with exclusive blue inserts in them. At the rear, the bumper has a model-specific design and features blue accents. The interior design of the iX5 is also the same as X5, and there are only minor visual differences here. There’s just a “hydrogen fuel cell” badge on the door sills and the passenger-side dashboard.
Specifications
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen has two carbon-fiber hydrogen tanks that store almost 6 kg hydrogen (combined) at a pressure of 700 bar. Filling up the tanks takes 3-4 minutes, so the experience is similar to refueling a gasoline/diesel BMW X5.
The vehicle’s drive system converts hydrogen into electricity in a fuel cell, delivering an electrical output of 125 kW (168 hp). Plus, the drive motor can add the energy stored in a traction battery pack, which gets its energy from energy recovery or from the fuel cell, to the mix. The waste heat resulting from the process of converting hydrogen into electricity generates some waste heat, too, which is put to use in warming the cabin.
The drive motor uses the fifth-gen BMW eDrive technology like the BMW iX and generates a power output of 295 kW (395 hp). A 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) sprint takes less than six seconds and the top speed is over 180 km/h (112 mph). The WLTP range of the iX5 is 504 km (313 miles). An Autocar report says that the iX5 weighs roughly the same as an X5 PHEV, around 2,500 kg (5,512 lbs).
Dr. Juergen Guldner, General Program Manager – Hydrogen Technology, BMW Group, told BMWBlog (via YouTube) during the press drive of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen that larger vehicles (like the X5, X7, and 7 Series) are sensible choices for hydrogen fuel-cell technology. He stated that big cars are used for longer travels with family and weekend trips. According to Guldner, the X5 has a lot of customers who travel often and that’s why it was the most suitable application for fuel-cell technology as a host vehicle.
Aspect | BMW iX5 Specification |
Vehicle Type | Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle |
Electric continuous output of the fuel-cell system | 125 kW (168 hp) |
Maximum output of the lithium-ion battery pack | 170 kW (228 hp) |
Maximum output of the electric motor | 295 kW (395 hp) |
Maximum output of overall drive system | 295 kW (395 hp) |
Fuel | Hydrogen gas |
Hydrogen tanks | Two |
Hydrogen tank storage capacity | 6 kg |
Hydrogen refueling time | 3-4 minutes |
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time | <6 seconds |
Top Speed | 180+ km/h (112+ mph) |
WLTP Range | 504 km (313 miles) |
Production
BMW Group has manufactured a small fleet of the iX5 Hydrogen in a pilot plant at its Munich Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ). This advanced facility is where all of the group’s cars are assembled for the first time, each time that a new model is introduced. Given the risks involved when working with a volatile element like hydrogen, specialists in hydrogen technology are ever-present during the entire production and assembly phases of the iX5 Hydrogen.
BMW’s hydrogen-powered Sports Activity Vehicle has many of its components being produced at the pilot plant, but only at the Additive Manufacturing Campus, which is the group’s competence center for 3D printing. Each production unit starts its journey at the body shop, proceeding to the paint shop and then the assembly section, before culminating the journey with a final inspection. Post this, every iX5 is sent to BMW’s Aschheim test center for a final operational check.
The BMW Group Plant Landshut manufactures the core components of the iX5’s hydrogen-electric drivetrain. The German production facility builds the stack housing, made of light metal, as well as the media pressure plate, made of plastic and light metal castings. The stack housing holds the fuel cells, which come from Toyota, and the media end plate creates an air and watertight seal around the stack housing. Channeling the hydrogen, oxygen, and coolant into the stack housing through the media end plate starts the chemical reaction in the fuel cells.
Series production
BMW Group will likely manufacture an all-new iX5 Hydrogen as a high-volume product. The company has confirmed the launch of its first series-production hydrogen FCEV and said that this product will be a variant of an existing model. All indicators suggest the German automaker is referring to a derivative of the next-gen BMW X5 (codename: G65) rumored to break cover in 2026. It plans to co-develop a new-generation fuel cell system with Toyota for the inaugural mass-produced hydrogen FCEV.
U.S. arrival
BMW Group plans to launch the first series-production hydrogen FCEV in 2028. As stated above, this model is likely to be a variant of the next-gen BMW X5. The company should offer it in select American states, with California being the no.1 priority, quite possibly across the globe, not just in the U.S. We expect Japan and South Korea to also be among the first markets to receive the upcoming hydrogen SUV.
BMW Concept iX5 Hydrogen Protection VR6
Another hydrogen model that grabbed the media’s attention at IAA 2021 was the BMW Concept iX5 Hydrogen Protection VR6 (via press.bmwgroup.com). As the name suggests, it’s the armored variant of the Concept iX5, and it’s the world’s first certified hydrogen fuel cell security vehicle, too.
Unlike typical gas-guzzling armored SUVs that feature six- or eight-cylinder engines, the Concept iX5 Hydrogen Protection VR6 emits no CO2. BMW has used molded parts made of high-strength steel, about 30 mm-thick protective glass, and tight protective sealing gaps in sensitive areas, such as doors and the body in the security variant. The luggage compartment partition of the BMW Concept iX5 Hydrogen Protection VR6 is also armored.
BMW developed its underbody to protect the vehicle from hand-grenade attacks. BMW engineers prioritized shielding the hydrogen tanks, including their valve systems. They used non-magnetic underbody protection, which is lightweight and has minimal effect on the ground clearance. There’s no plan to launch an armored BMW iX5 at the moment. However, the innovative concept opens up new possibilities for protecting leaders and VIPs in the carbon-neutral era.
Also Read: 11 upcoming hydrogen FCEVs with up to 500 miles of range
TopElectricSUV says
Hydrogen fuel cells are much cleaner, more environmentally friendly, and don’t need precious metals and minerals such as nickel and lithium. FCEVs can be suitable alternatives for customers who don’t prefer the long charging times of BEVs. Hydrogen tanks can be topped up within minutes, unlike batteries that take far longer to recharge. However, FCEVs face a similar challenge, i.e., the availability of hydrogen filling stations which are scarce across the globe.
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 16 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading CEOs and vehicle developers from around the world.