BMW teases fuel-cell X5
BMW has confirmed plans to begin offering a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle based on the current X5 with the unveiling of a new concept car at the Frankfurt motor show.
The i Hydrogen Next provides an initial glimpse of what this model has in store.
BMW would start offering fuel cell vehicles for customers in 2025 at the earliest, but the timing very much depends on market requirements and overall conditions.
"Hydrogen vehicles represent an important alternative and addition to battery-electric drive systems," said the group in a statement. "This rich diversity of electrified drive technologies – of which plug-in hybrids are another example – underlines the BMW Group’s commitment to achieving zero-emission mobility as part of a well-thought-out strategy."
Design of the BMW i Hydrogen Next
No technical details to the drivetrain have been made public, however, the German marque has disclosed some of the aesthetic modifications.
"At the front end, the modifications are most clearly visible in the distinctive BMW i blue patterning on the bonnet. This patterning reappears in three-dimensional form in the air intakes."
"The pattern’s shape and colour form a dynamic flow across the front end and flanks of the body. The detailing on the light-alloy wheels provides further confirmation of the model’s BMW i genes."
"The development vehicle’s innovative nature shines through at the rear, too, thanks to the BMW i blue diffuser elements. Their blanked off design without exhaust tailpipes clearly highlights that the car’s drive system produces zero local emissions."
Development partnership with Toyota
The BMW Group and Toyota joined forces in 2013 to co-develop a drive system using hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Since the summer of 2015, the BMW’s research wing has been testing a small fleet of prototype BMW 5 Series GT hydrogen fuel cell vehicles powered by a jointly developed drive system with a Toyota fuel cell stack.
In 2016, the two companies signed a product development partnership agreement. Since then they have been working together on future generations of fuel cell drive systems and on scalable, modular components for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
In January 2017, BMW and Toyota teamed up with 11 leading energy, transport and industrial companies to launch a global initiative known as the Hydrogen Council.
Its aim is to forge a united vision and push ahead with the long-term ambition of a hydrogen-fuelled energy revolution. As of June 2019, the Hydrogen Council has grown to 60 member companies.
