Hydrogen Fuel-Cell powered BMW X5 in development

The Hydrogen-powered BMW X5 is currently being tested on public roads in Europe. Its power figures are expected to be similar to that of the standard X5.

This week, BMW began testing the hydrogen fuel-cell-powered X5 prototype, ahead of its production run slated for 2022. The testing on public roads of Europe is done to gather real-world data in order to fine-tune the software onboard.

Toyota sourced hydrogen fuel cells will be paired to the BMW’s fifth-gen electric motor, which also is offered in the iX crossover and i4 sedan. A total of six kilograms of hydrogen will be stored in two tanks made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). One tank will be mounted at the X5’s centre line and the other will be positioned under the rear seats, along the width of the car.

The car promises to produce a power output that’s close to its petrol-powered sibling – around 368bhp – and a full hydrogen refill is said to take around you 3 – 4 minutes. ‘Hydrogen fuel cell technology can be an attractive option for sustainable drive trains, especially in larger vehicle classes,’ says Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW in charge of the development. He further adds, ‘That is why road testing of near-standard vehicles with a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain is an important milestone in our research and development efforts.’

BMW has not revealed any confirmed power figures or the range of the hydrogen-powered X5. The details should be out in the coming months. The production variant is expected to break cover by the final quarter of 2021 in the international market.

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