BMW iX5 Hydrogen: BMW returns to Germany with its evolving prototype

Two years after unveiling the i Hydrogen NEXT in Frankfurt, BMW is using the return of international motor shows to Germany to introduce what is, in effect, the next step on from the 2019 concept: the BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

Displayed as one of several vehicles that visitors to the Munich Motor Show can use to travel between the event’s various locations, the iX5 Hydrogen is still not a production model. Instead, it exists as a kind of “rolling prototype”.

Prototype programme and next steps

A small batch of iX5 Hydrogen vehicles will therefore be built and, from next year, will be put to work in demonstrations and testing. The aim is to keep advancing fuel cell technology-an approach BMW believes could, in time, power some of its future “zero-emissions” models alongside the more “traditional” battery solutions.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen

As its name suggests, the iX5 Hydrogen is based on the X5, replacing the German SUV’s internal-combustion powertrain with an electric motor delivering up to 374 hp (275 kW). This unit was developed from the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology, also used in the BMW iX.

Fuel cell system and refuelling

However, while the iX’s electric motors draw energy from a 70 kWh or 100 kWh battery, in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen the electricity used by the motor comes from a hydrogen fuel cell.

The hydrogen itself is stored in two tanks made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). With a combined capacity of 6 kg of hydrogen, they hold the fuel at 700 bar. As for refuelling, it takes just three to four minutes to fill up.

Distinctive identity

Although it is built on the X5, the iX5 Hydrogen has not given up its own character, arriving with a dedicated look that openly draws inspiration from the “i family” of models.

Up front, there are blue accents in the grille and several components produced using 3D printing. The 22-inch aerodynamic wheels are also new, as are the sustainably made tyres fitted to them.

At the rear, as well as a large logo signalling this iX5 Hydrogen’s “hydrogen diet”, there is a new bumper and a bespoke diffuser. Inside, the main changes are limited to blue highlights and the logo positioned above the glovebox.

For now, BMW has no plans to put the iX5 Hydrogen into production. Even so, as we mentioned, the German brand is not ruling out the possibility that, in the future, its “i range” could include models powered both by batteries and by hydrogen fuel cells.