BMW iX5 Hydrogen prototypes enter testing as next fuel cell assembly phase begins in Munich
BMW's iX5 Hydrogen prototypes are running a comprehensive test programme while the third-generation fuel cell system enters a new assembly phase in Munich and Steyr prepares for series production.
- Up to 750 km
- Less than 5 minutes
- 191 million euros
- 82 million euros
What Happened
The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen has reached the next development phase on the road to series production. Current prototypes are completing a comprehensive testing programme, while the third-generation fuel cell system is entering a new assembly phase at the Hydrogen Competence Centre in Munich and BMW Group Plant Steyr in Austria prepares for future series production. Following successful global testing of a pilot fleet, the iX5 Hydrogen is set to be the first hydrogen-powered BMW Group production model released onto the market, and going forward the new BMW X5 will offer customers a choice between battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol, diesel or hydrogen fuel cell drive trains. BMW is targeting a range of up to 750 kilometres (WLTP) and refuelling in less than five minutes, with fully electric, locally emission-free driving.
Current testing is focused on validating the overall system under demanding environmental and operating conditions and on optimising the complex control of the systems, even under high loads. It confirms the coordinated interaction between the fuel cell system, electric motor, high-voltage battery, BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage and Energy Master. The high-voltage battery and the Energy Master, the high-voltage system's central control unit, enable higher recuperation performance and therefore increase overall system efficiency. Inside the fuel cell, hydrogen from the tanks reacts with oxygen from the ambient air in an electrochemical reaction that generates the electric current driving the electric motor and powering the vehicle. BMW aims for driving performance on a par with the BMW iX5, including a target acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds.
“Our ambition for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is clear: a true BMW – with Sheer Driving Pleasure. A perfectly coordinated overall system is crucial for this. Current testing demonstrates how the fuel cell system, high-voltage battery and electric drive train are already successfully integrated and how systematically we are developing the technology towards series production.”
- Centred on component buildability and basic qualification of suppliers
- Finalising and validating the testing methodology and preparing for industrialisation, establishing conditions for robust and efficient manufacturing processes
With the new assembly phase underway, the project has reached another important development step on the road to industrialisation. The first test benches and manufacturing equipment have already been set up at BMW Group Plant Steyr, with employees being trained in stages, and the insights gained form the basis for further industrialisation steps and the subsequent production ramp-up. Under the HyPowerDrive project, the German Federal Ministry of Transport is funding development of the powertrain and tank system for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen as part of IPCEI Hy2Move. The federal government is providing 191 million euros, and the project is also being co-financed by the state of Bavaria with a total of 82 million euros; the funding is administered by Projektträger Jülich and coordinated by NOW GmbH.
“Prototype assembly is about much more than manufacturing individual components. Each phase helps us optimise processes, gain experience and systematically share this knowledge with the teams in Steyr. In this way, we are laying the foundation for the next steps on the road to industrialisation.”
- Munich: the Hydrogen Competence Centre hosts the new assembly phase for the third-generation fuel cell system
- Steyr, Austria: BMW Group Plant Steyr will carry out future series production of the fuel cell system and is already installing test benches and manufacturing equipment
- Landshut: additional system components are being manufactured at the BMW Group facility
Why this matters
The iX5 Hydrogen is set to become BMW's first hydrogen-powered production model, giving buyers an alternative to battery-electric cars where long range and short refuelling times matter. Its third-generation fuel cell system, co-developed with Toyota, is being prepared for series production at BMW Group Plant Steyr, work that involves teams in Munich, Steyr and Landshut.
Terms in This Story
- Fuel cell
- A device that produces electricity from an electrochemical reaction, here between hydrogen from the vehicle's tanks and oxygen from the ambient air, to power an electric motor.
- WLTP
- The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure, a standardised test cycle used to measure figures such as range and consumption.
- Recuperation
- Recovering energy during braking or coasting and feeding it back into the high-voltage battery to improve overall efficiency.
- Energy Master
- The central control unit for a vehicle's high-voltage system.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.