MUNICH: BMW has announced that a small series of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, based on the X5,would be used for demonstration and testing purposes from the end of next year.
This comes two years after the company unveiled the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT concept car.
You may recall BMW exploring hydrogen propulsion back in 2005 when it adapted the 7 Series to run on it. One hundred of the fuel cell 7 Series were made. The technology advanced further in 2015 when BMW's joint project with Toyota resulted in a fuel cell 5 Series GT.
Eventually, it led to BMW introducing a new hydrogen-powered concept in 2019 called BMW i Hydrogen Next that was the precursor to the iX5 Hydrogen.
With the iX5 Hydrogen, individual exterior and interior design elements highlight the car’s ties to the BMW i brand, as well as its specific drive technology.
The entry sills and cover trim for the instrument panel also sport a “hydrogen fuel cell” badge.
The mesh inserts covering the cooling air openings at the front of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, as well as the rear apron and its diffuser element, also have their own unique design.
The ornamental grilles covering the BMW kidney grille, the lower and two outer air inlets and the body elements for the lower rear end trim all come from the BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Campus, which uses 3D printing to produce prototype and standard parts.
Additive manufacturing enables fast and highly flexible production of components – some of which have geometric shapes that cannot be realised with conventional production methods.
The iX5 Hydrogen’s aerodynamic wheels come with sustainably produced tyres made of natural rubber and rayon.
The raw materials for this are extracted in compliance with the standards of the independent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) organisation.
BMW says the group is the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to use Pirelli tyres made exclusively from certified natural rubber and the wood-based material rayon in its production vehicles.
The iX5 Hydrogen combines fuel cell technology with a fifth-generation BMW eDrive.
The drive system uses hydrogen as fuel by converting it into electricity in a fuel cell – delivering an electrical output of up to 170hp, with water vapour as the only emission.
This drive power also enables it to maintain consistently high speeds over longer distances. The electric motor was developed from the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology also used in the BMW iX.
In coasting overrun and braking phases, it serves as a generator, feeding energy into a power battery. The energy stored in this power battery is also used for particularly sporty driving manoeuvres – delivering a system output of 374hp.
The hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which together hold almost six kilograms of hydrogen.
Filling up the hydrogen tanks fully is said to take not more than four minutes.
“With its high-performance fuel cell and optimised power battery, the iX5 Hydrogen’s drive system is unique in the world,” said Juergen Guldner, head of BMW Group Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects.
With the right conditions, hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to become a further pillar in the BMW Group’s drive train portfolio for local CO2-free mobility.
The BMW i brand, which is geared towards locally emission-free mobility, could in the future also offer vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell drive trains, in addition to battery-electric models such as the i3, iX3, iX and i4.
Provided the hydrogen is produced using renewable energy and the necessary infrastructure is available, this technology is likely to complement the BMW Group’s electrified drive train portfolio – and, in particular, meet the needs of customers who do not have their own access to electric charging infrastructure, frequently drive long distances or desire a high degree of flexibility.
The company will present the iX5 Hydrogen at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich.
Currently still in series development, the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) with hydrogen fuel cell drive train will be one of several vehicles visitors can experience as they are driven along the Blue Lane connecting the main exhibition grounds with other exhibition venues in the city centre.
