Never let it be said that BMW doesn’t offer its customers choice. Right now, there’s nothing to stop any of us (besides the £70k or so required) buying a rear-wheel drive, six-speed, 3.0-litre M2. And yet as soon as 2028 it will also sell a hydrogen fuel cell-powered X5. A technology that has always felt like science fiction, in the sense of it not being quite ready for the present day. Except in the case of the iX5 Hydrogen. BMW has completed its pilot fleet testing across the globe, and will soon be ready for market as the brand’s first series production hydrogen model.
It will be one of five (!) powertrain options for the next X5, with petrol, diesel, EV and PHEV also offered. Which must be another first. You might remember that BMW has been working with Toyota (which has already brought fuel cell cars like the Mirai to market) on hydrogen technology, an arrangement that now stretches back more than a decade.
This iX5 will use the third generation of their collaborative tech, which ‘can be seamlessly integrated into future vehicle architectures.’ Remarkable really that one X5 platform can accommodate everything from compression ignition to hydrogen. The latest fuel cell tech is said to be around 25 per cent smaller, and more power-dense than what’s been seen before, but we don’t know any specifics for the moment.
BMW suggests that hydrogen is ‘recognised as a promising future energy carrier for global decarbonisation.’ There won’t be much contesting that statement. The problem has always been infrastructure, with very few filling stations to make it a viable solution for most people. HyMoS might be part of the solution there, at least in certain markets. It stands for Hydrogen Mobility at Scale, an initiative that is currently supporting ‘hydrogen mobility ecosystems’ in Germany and France with BMW’s involvement to assess demand and improve infrastructure where required.
The aim is ‘to reach an optimal distribution and usage of hydrogen stations.’ There is also scope for expansion at a later date. Given how many EV chargers have popped up over the past decade, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that more hydrogen filling stations will emerge, though the storage requirements make it a much more involved process. And the market niche would surely be small. Let’s see. Once upon a time the investment in BEVs seemed ill-judged, so who knows.
Joachim Post is on the board at BMW, and is in no doubt: “By launching the new BMW X5 with a choice of five drive system variants, we are once again demonstrating our leading position as a technology pioneer. Hydrogen has an essential part to play in global decarbonisation, which is why we are committed to driving the technology forward.” The fuel cells made in 2028 will be manufactured at the Steyr plant, with additional parts from the tech hub in Landshut. And for a taste of hydrogen fuel cell motoring right now, check this out: a Hyundai Nexo with just 5,000 miles, for £10,000. It was £65,995 new…
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