BMW iX5 Hydrogen 2023.. BMW iX5 Hydrogen 2023. BMW starts production of the iX5 Hydrogen, a fuel cell X5 built in small series. From spring 2023, around 100 test vehicles will represent fuel cell technology as demonstration vehicles.
The iX5 Hydrogen is being built at the FIZ (Research and Innovation Center Munich). For this, normal X5 floor groups are revised, equipped with hydrogen tanks, 12 and 400 volt electrical systems and backup batteries. The fuel cell is installed in the front end, and an electric motor drives the SUV on the rear axle . In the future, an iX5 could possibly also be offered in large series, but probably not before 2025.
Fuel cell with 170 hp power.
The second generation of the fuel cell will be used in the iX5 Hydrogen, in which the continuous output has been more than doubled. The fuel cell alone should be able to generate an electrical output of 125 kW (170 hp). The hydrogen required to generate electricity is to be stored in gaseous form in two 700-bar CFRP high-pressure tanks. According to BMW, the tanks together hold up to six kilograms of hydrogen .
So that there is always enough energy available for short intermediate sprints, the BMW buffers power in a battery under the trunk. Combined with an electric motor, the iX5 Hydrogen should deliver a system output of 275 kW (374 hp).
BMW X5 with optical adjustments.
The iX5 Hydrogen is immediately recognizable as a BMW X5 . The modifications to the optics are limited. However, the BMW gets a lot of blue accents that are intended to distinguish it as a BMW i model.
The bonnet has a special pattern in blue, the air intakes in the apron also have blue elements and are very large. The accentuated aluminum rims catch the eye from the side. At the rear, the Hydrogen Next has a diffuser and small winglets.
Hydrogen has long been an issue at BMW.
The fuel cell technology for the planned small series comes from a cooperation between BMW and Toyota . The two carmakers have been working together since 2013, and since summer 2015 BMW has been testing the practical suitability of the jointly developed powertrain with a hydrogen 5 Series GT fleet.
BMW has been working on hydrogen vehicles for even longer, but so far without noticing any significant successes. Although 100 BMW Hydrogen 7s based on the E66-7 series were produced in 2002, they never went on sale. This may change with the production version of the iX5 from 2025.
00:00 BMW iX5 Hydrogen 2023.
00:49 Fuel cell with 170 hp power.
01:42 BMW X5 with optical adjustments.
02:17 Hydrogen has long been an issue at BMW.
