BMW to deploy iX5 Hydrogen for demonstration and trial purposes globally

BMW announced that it will deploy a fleet of iX5 Hydrogen vehicles globally (to select groups) for demonstration and trial purposes.

According to the the German automotive brand, the critical phase will be the first chance for the public to gain a direct impression of the  model's offerings.

First presented at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Germany, the iX5 Hydrogen has been in development for four years before BMW Group — the automotive conglomerate — decided to put the 100-vehicle fleet into service this year.

“Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play in the energy transition process and therefore in climate protection. After all, it is one of the most efficient ways of storing and transporting renewable energies. We should use this potential to also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector. Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility. One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide,” said BMW Chairman of the Board of Management Oliver Zipse.

Powering the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology (which consists of an electric motor, transmission, and power electronics that are grouped together in a compact housing) and a power battery with lithium-ion technology developed especially for this vehicle.

Additionally, the BMW iX5 hydrogen uses individual fuel cells sourced from Toyota.

Its setup allows the overall drive system to produce about 401 horsepower (hp) with around 170hp coming from the fuel-cell system and roughly 231 horses coming from the lithium-ion batteries.

Per BMW, its speed peaks at 180 kilometers per hour (kph) while acceleration is from zero to 100kph in under six seconds.

The forthcoming deployment of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen falls in line with the automotive firm’s drive to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of its vehicles by at least 40 percent by 2030. To note, the consortium was able to reduce its CO2 by nine percent last year.

Key to this achievement and in making further strides in decarbonization is the increased sales of the BMW Group’s electric vehicles (EV). Last year, the BMW group sold more than 215,000 EVs, which accounts for a little under nine percent of the corporation’s overall vehicle sales.

The BMW Group aims to increase this percentage to 15 percent this year, and at least 50 percent in 2030.

Photos from BMW

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