2022 BMW iX5 Hydrogen G05 prototype unveiled
BMW has announced it will debut a new hydrogen fuel-cell (HEV) iX5 prototype, and passenger rides will be offered at its Munich motor show arrival in September. The iX5 Hydrogen will also be built in small numbers in 2022, for demonstration and testing purposes.
To ensure it stands out, the iX5 Hydrogen has similar blue accents to other models in the ‘i’ range, including for its kidney grille, BMW badges and 22-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels. There are also ‘hydrogen fuel-cell’ badges for the door sills and instrument panel. Its grilles, air intakes and rear diffuser will come from the BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Campus, which can create 3D printed and prototype parts. These techniques can create components with geometric shapes impossible for mass-production methods to achieve.
Its wheels are shod in sustainable tyres made from natural rubber and rayon, which is a wood-based material. Raw materials are extracted with the approval of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Power comes from dual electric motors, with a combined output of 369bhp. These are the same fifth generation eDrive motors developed for the BMW i4 saloon and updated iX3 SUV. Unlike those battery electric models, power is supplied to the motors by a hydrogen fuel-cell, capable of generating 125kW and developed in collaboration with Toyota. Its only emissions are water vapour.
Hydrogen is stored in two 700-bar pressurised tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, with a total capacity of almost six kilograms. These can be filled in three to four minutes, according to BMW, “so there are no limits on using the BMW iX5 Hydrogen for long distances, with just a few, short stops in-between,” said Juergen Guldner, head of BMW Group Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Technology.
According to BMW, hydrogen can complement its electrified powertrain portfolio, and ‘meet the needs of customers who do not have their own access to electric charging infrastructure, frequently drive long distances or desire a high degree of flexibility.’