Hydrogen-Powered BMW iX5 Pilot Fleet Goes Into Operation In 2023

BMW has been working on a hydrogen fuel cell crossover for the past four years. Soon, the business will release the first iX5 Hydrogen vehicles, marking the beginning of a pivotal phase in the project's development. When the fleet goes into operation later this year, the carmaker will produce fewer than 100 vehicles to test with diverse demographics.

BMW purchases the fuel cells itself from Toyota and assembles the stacks at its hydrogen facility in Munich. The fuel cell system is a part of the automaker's fifth-generation eDrive engine technology, which also comprises an electric engine, gearbox, and a lithium-ion battery. In August last year, BMW announced that, starting in 2025, it will begin producing hydrogen fuel cell cars co-developed with Toyota.

All in all, the engine and transmission are good for 401 horsepower. The BMW iX5's range is rated at 313 miles on the WLTP cycle, and the firm claims that it only takes three to four minutes to recover. The iX5 can go from 0 to 62 in less than 6 seconds and on to exceed 112 mph. Now, almost 1000 employees at BMW's Research Innovation Center are trying to perfect the iX5 Hydrogen crossover for mass production.