• Swindon & Wiltshire Motors
• Thursday August 24 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet visits the UK

A pilot fleet of BMW iX5 Hydrogen cars are being put through their paces in the UK as part of an international trial.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen developed on the basis of the current BMW X5 was first unveiled as a concept at the IAA show in 2019. The group says it is now ready to test its fleet of 100 cars in real-world conditions.

BMW produces the fuel cell systems for the pilot fleet at its in-house competence centre for hydrogen in Munich.

This technology is one of the core elements in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and generates a high continuous output of 125 kW/170 hp.

The hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.

Together these hold almost six kilograms of hydrogen, enough to give the BMW iX5 Hydrogen a range of 313 miles.

Filling up the hydrogen tanks only takes three to four minutes – so the BMW iX5 Hydrogen can also provide the driving pleasure for which BMW is renowned over long distances, with just a few, short stops along the way.

“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”, said Oliver Zipse, BMW chairman.

“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.”