BMW reveals new details about the iX5 Hydrogen, which will reach the market in 2028

BMW will present the new generation of the X5 with five different powertrains, one of them hydrogen-powered. The Bavarian brand has just revealed the first results obtained with the current prototypes of this SUV with a fuel cell propulsion system. The production version is expected to reach the market in 2028 under the name BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

The company put a fleet of 100 test units into circulation a couple of years ago, converted from the fourth generation of the X5 (G05), manufactured in Spartanburg (United States) and equipped with hydrogen fuel cells. That trial served to accumulate real-world experience and allowed a few selected members of the press to get a first hands-on impression of the vehicle.

Now, testing has begun on the first prototypes of the future iX5 Hydrogen, based on the fifth generation of the X5 (G65), which debuted at the end of June. At that time, BMW confirmed the future availability of five variants: the fully electric iX5, the petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions of the X5, and the iX5 Hydrogen. The first four should go on sale in 2027, while the hydrogen version will arrive a year later. This strategy reinforces BMW’s commitment to remaining “open to technology”, an expression that Oliver Zipse, the brand’s head, uses frequently.

A project like this is not easy to carry out

The prototypes of the new generation are subject to an exhaustive testing programme, including tests carried out at the centre in Aschheim, near Munich. In parallel, at the Hydrogen Competence Centre in Munich, construction of third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system prototypes has begun, while the engine plant in Steyr, Austria, is already working on future series production. Likewise, preproduction of the central control unit, the “Energy Master”, of the hydrogen drivetrain has started in Landshut.

“Our ambition with the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is clear: a true BMW, with the pure pleasure of driving. A perfectly coordinated overall system is decisive. Current tests show how the fuel cell, the high-voltage battery and the electric drivetrain are already successfully integrated, and how we are systematically moving towards series production.”

The aim of these tests is to guarantee full performance of the whole system at all times and to keep refining the driving dynamics characteristic of the brand. BMW is targeting figures comparable to those of the electric iX5, including an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in under five seconds.

The practicality of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is nevertheless still debatable. The Bavarian firm announces a range of 750 km, a figure the generous 141 kWh battery of the new electric iX5 will come close to. Furthermore, there are far more charging points for electric vehicles than hydrogen stations, which casts doubt on the viability of this project. Despite this, BMW is pressing ahead.