BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA

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The hydrogen car cannot be bought until 2025 at the earliest, and then it will probably look different

BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-hydrogen

The BMW i Hydrogen Next will be tested on the street from now on, it was said in June. The production version of the hydrogen car is now at the IAA, as BMW officially announces.

It is a version of the BMW X5 with electric drive and fuel cells and it is called BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

The BMW i Hydrogen Next was officially presented in September 2019. Two years later, the production vehicle is now being presented at the IAA in Munich. A prototype will even "be able to be experienced in active driving on the Blue Lane", according to BMW. Blue Lane is the route between the exhibition grounds in the east of the city and other exhibition venues in the city center.

From the end of 2022, the iX5 Hydrogen is to be used "as a small series for demonstration and testing purposes". However, the car will not be on the market until 2025 at the earliest, as BMW announced in March 2020.

"At the earliest in the second half of this decade, and depending on market requirements and framework conditions, the BMW Group will then launch a customer offering with hydrogen fuel cell technology." (BMW in March 2020)

Picture gallery: BMW iX5 Hydrogen (2022)

BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-hydrogen

BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-show BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-show BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-cells BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-hydrogen BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-hydrogen BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-cells

The car is powered by a fifth-generation eDrive, like the one used in the BMW iX, according to BMW. The Munich manufacturer does not specify the power of the electric motor. The fuel cells produce an electrical output of 125 kW. This means that "even high speeds can be kept constant over longer distances," says the brand.

BMW i Hydrogen Next: The stack is apparently under the front hood, in the place of the combustion engine

For accelerating and overtaking, electricity from a buffer battery is also used, the storage capacity of which is not mentioned. It is certainly not big, as the pictures of the engine of the study show:

BMW i Hydrogen Next: The buffer battery is located above the electric motor at the rear

Together with the 125 kW from the stack, this results in a system output of 275 kW, according to BMW. That means: The battery can deliver up to 150 kW. A charging option for the battery such as the Mercedes GLC F-Cell from 2017 does not mention BMW.

The hydrogen required to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700 bar tanks made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Together they hold almost six kilos of hydrogen. BMW does not make a statement about the range, but since the consumption of hydrogen cars is usually in the range of 1 kilo of hydrogen per 100 km, it should be around 600 kilometers. While such values ​​are now also achieved by electric cars, refueling (according to BMW in three to four minutes) is much faster than charging a battery.

BMW iX5 Hydrogen: show car with fuel cells is at the IAA-show

i Hydrogen Next: The entire system with stack (left), gas containers (middle) and electric drive (right)

The design features include blue details on the grill, the 22-inch wheels and the rear apron. The door sills and the trim on the dashboard are labeled Hydrogen Fuel Cell.

In addition, the decorative grille of the cooling air openings at the front and the rear apron including diffuser are designed a little differently than on the fossil-powered X5. These parts are made with 3D printing, which allows for quick and cheap production in small numbers. The particularly aerodynamically favorable wheels are fitted with sustainably produced Pirelli tires made of certified natural rubber and the wood-based material rayon.

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BMW continues to refer to hydrogen cars as a further technology option in addition to battery-electric mobility, but only if the framework conditions are right. In particular, there must be sufficient and competitive production of green hydrogen and an adequate tank infrastructure.

"Given the right framework conditions, hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to form a further pillar in the BMW Group's drive portfolio for locally CO2-free mobility." (BMW)

If these conditions are met, there could be BMWs with hydrogen fuel cell drives in addition to purely electric models. These vehicles could "particularly meet the requirements of customers who do not have their own access to electrical charging infrastructure, who often travel long distances or who want a high degree of flexibility."

The current BMW X5 came on the market at the end of 2018. No hydrogen production vehicle from BMW is expected before 2025. It seems at least doubtful whether a series vehicle that will be launched will still be based on the then seven-year-old X5. So it will probably look different from the car shown at the IAA.

No, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is more of a show car, with which BMW wants to emphasize that the fuel cell is still up to date. However, a drivable show car – because a hydrogen car is technically feasible. However, this is nothing new because we drove a Honda Clarity back in 2010.

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