[RahulNagaraj]

BMW has announced that the near-production version of its hydrogen fuel cell-powered SUV, the iX5 will be unveiled at the upcoming IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany.



The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen is based on the brand's i Hydrogen NEXT concept car, first showcased in 2019. At the IAA Mobility 2021, BMW will be demonstrating its fuel cell technology, while also allowing visitors to experience the car first-hand. The FCEV will then go on to enter a small (pilot) series production in end-2022, for further testing and demonstration purposes.



The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is similar to the current-gen X5 SUV. However, it does feature a new bumper design, large 22-inch aero wheels and blue accents all around the car. The iX5 is said to combine high-performance hydrogen fuel cells with the brand's latest fifth-generation eDrive technology.



The FCEV drivetrain converts hydrogen to electricity, producing 168 BHP. There is also a high-voltage battery which serves as a performance buffer, increasing the power output to 368 BHP. The iX5 also comes with a six-kilogram hydrogen tank, however, BMW is yet to announce the maximum range of the iX5 FCEV.

Link to Team-BHP news

[volkman10]

Built with Toyota tech, BMW iX5 Hydrogen FCEV undergoes winter torture tests before production.


The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is undergoing its final winter testing in one of the coldest regions in the world. Tests confirm: the hydrogen fuel cell drive defies even the lowest temperatures.

Testing under extreme weather conditions is a prerequisite in the vehicle development process. Once the vehicle’s reliability has been put through its paces in a wide variety of situations, series production can begin. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen has been successfully undergoing extensive long-distance and weather tests for some months now as part of the BMW Group development process.

The aim is to produce a small series of the model by the end of the year. At the same time, the company is committed to rapidly expanding the hydrogen filling station network: “The winter testing under extreme conditions clearly shows that the BMW iX5 Hydrogen can also deliver full performance in temperatures of -20°C and therefore represents a viable alternative to a vehicle powered by a battery-electric drive system,” says Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. “For us to be able to offer our customers a fuel cell drive system as an attractive sustainable mobility solution, a sufficiently extensive hydrogen infrastructure also needs to be in place.”

One particularly fascinating feature of the hydrogen fuel cell drive: even at extremely low temperatures, it is in no way inferior to a conventional combustion engine in terms of everyday usability. Drivers have the full system power at their disposal shortly after starting – even in the freezing cold. The range is also unrestricted. What’s more, it only takes three to four minutes to fill up the hydrogen tanks, even in frosty conditions.

BMW Group’s hydrogen fuel cell technology will soon be an attractive alternative in the field of sustainable mobility for everyday life: “Irrespective of the time of year and the outside temperatures, the hydrogen fuel cell drive combines the best of both drive worlds: the locally emission-free mobility of an electric vehicle and the unrestricted suitability for everyday use, including short refuelling stops, that we are all familiar with from models with combustion engines.”