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The BMW Group announced its first iX5 Hydrogen vehicles to international media representatives. The automaker plans for the pilot fleet of fewer than 100 vehicles to enter service this year for trial and demonstration.
The vehicle’s fuel-cell system creates a continuous output of 170 horsepower, and its lithium-ion technology has a maximum output of 231 horsepower. It also possesses an electric range of about 313 miles and can reach a top speed of over 112 miles per hour. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen also allows for rapid refueling. It stores hydrogen in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic containing nearly six kilograms of hydrogen. Additionally, the tanks only take three or four minutes to fill.
Fuel-cell systems continue to compete with lithium-ion batteries, but BMW’s technology chief Frank Weber said the automaker would only make a hydrogen vehicle sales push once an adequate amount of infrastructure is available.
Hydrogen has drawn skepticism from Tesla’s Elon Musk, who tweeted in 2020, “fuel cells = fool sells.” Mercedes-Benz and Honda also worked to develop hydrogen vehicles but have since phased out or discontinued production.
BloombergNEF analyst Martin Tengler said fuel-cell cars would always be more expensive than those powered by batteries. Tengler suggested that BMW might target a niche segment but said hydrogen cars are best left “just around the corner.”
BMW first showed the iX5 Hydrogen concept in 2019. Two years later, initial prototypes acted as shuttle vehicles at International Motor Show Germany. The BMW iX5 is made at Munich’s Research and Innovation Centre, where 900 people work in assembly, the body shop, concept vehicle construction, model engineering, and additive manufacturing.