BMW has entered limited production of the first Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) with hydrogen fuel cell technology, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen.
The German brand has started production of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen in the pilot plant of its Research and Innovation Center in Munich, thus confirming BMW’s commitment to hydrogen. Production is limited to a small series of units.
It is the first Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) in history with hydrogen fuel cell technology. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen completed an intensive test program under demanding conditions during the development phase.
Now, BMW’s hydrogen SUV will be used as a technology demonstrator for carbon-free mobility locally in selected regions from spring 2023.
“We are confident that hydrogen is going to gain a lot of importance for individual mobility and therefore consider a mix of battery electric and fuel cell drive systems a sensible approach in the long term,” says Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
“Our test fleet of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen will allow us to gain valuable new insights, enabling us to present customers with an attractive product range once the hydrogen economy becomes a mainstream reality,” he added.
Production of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen begins
The Munich Research and Innovation Center is the interface between development and production, where each new model is manufactured for the first time.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen goes through all the usual stages of production, starting with the body shop, through the paint shop and assembly, before ending with a final inspection of each vehicle.
Each vehicle then undergoes a comprehensive function check at the BMW Group test center in Aschheim.
development phases
For the development of the iX5 Hydrogen, specialists in hydrogen technology, vehicle development and initial assembly of the new models have collaborated closely to integrate cutting-edge propulsion and energy storage technology.
For its part, the Bavarian company’s plant in Spartanburg, United States, supplies the base vehicles for the hydrogen model, which has been developed on the platform of the BMW X5.
In the pilot plant’s body shop, a new floor assembly is installed to house the two hydrogen tanks in the center tunnel and under the rear seat group.
During the assembly phase, the model-specific 12V and 400V electrical systems, high-performance battery, electric motor and fuel cell are integrated, along with standard production parts.
The electric motor, located in the rear axle area together with the battery, develops 374 hp and is the result of current fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology, also used in BMW electric and plug-in hybrid models.
The fuel cell systems under the hood of the iX5 Hydrogen have been manufactured since August this year in BMW’s internal competence center for hydrogen in Garching, north of Munich.
