New BMW iX5 Hydrogen confirmed: German brand bets big on green future fuel

BMW is all set to give hydrogen another leg-up on its stuttering climb from theoretical planet-saving future fuel to viable option for real car buyers. The new BMW X5 SUV will be offered with a pure hydrogen powertrain under the name BMW iX5 Hydrogen. 

Just when you thought everything was going EV, the next generation BMW X5 is actually going to be made available with no fewer than five different fuel options. There’ll be petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, a pure-electric iX5 and the iX5 Hydrogen. The latter will be powered by electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell and is due on sale in 2028 following the launch of the mainstream X5 models from 2026. 

That fuel cell system has been under development as part of a long-running global pilot programme in which BMW has run fleets of hydrogen powered cars. The resulting third generation fuel cell system has been developed in collaboration with Toyota and its key advantages are said to include a more compact design, more power and better efficiency. 

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen will be BMW’s first series production hydrogen car and it will follow in the tyre tracks of hydrogen models like the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo. The fuel remains a compelling option for the car industry because of its potential to deliver the zero emissions driving of an EV together with fast refuelling of an internal combustion engined car. It also does without heavy, expensive batteries. 

So far, cost and environmental impact of manufacturing and transporting hydrogen in sufficient quantities have proven to be difficult barriers to overcome. At the same time, the ranges and charging speeds of pure electric cars have improved, reducing the perceived size of the hydrogen prize - in passenger cars, at least. 

BMW is firmly on-board with the technology as a solution outside of the heavy commercial vehicle market where it is already catching on. The firm’s HyMoS (Hydrogen Mobility at Scale) initiative is designed to build hydrogen supply chain ecosystems in Germany to try and make the fuel more economically viable. While options for private motorists to refuel hydrogen cars in the UK have actually decreased in recent years, European infrastructure - particularly in Germany and France - has grown.  

On confirming the arrival of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, Michael Rath, BMW’s Vice President Hydrogen Vehicles, said:  “The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen will be a true BMW - pioneering in its class and delivering the BMW typical driving pleasure.” 

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