In 2013, the BMW Group entered into a partnership with Toyota to create a fuel cell system to power cars. This resulted in the presentation at the 2017 Hanover Motor Show of a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo equipped with the 1st generation fuel cell supplied by Toyota.
Production of the 2nd generation fuel cell system began in August 2022 in our hydrogen centre of excellence in Garching near Munich. 2023 saw us unveiling the BMW iX5 Hydrogen to the world, a ground-breaking electric vehicle that embodies the latest hydrogen technology and offers all the benefits of electric driving – silent gliding and powerful acceleration. All this coming with some impressive numbers: a range of up to 504 kilometres, an electric motor output of 295 kW/401 hp and a refuelling time of just three to four minutes.
With a fleet of less than one hundred vehicles, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen has set out to conquer the world of hydrogen: the vehicles covered almost one million kilometres in more than 20 countries in their first year. The iX5 hydrogen world tour has raised awareness of the important role hydrogen has to play in the energy transition, not only in terms of mobility, but on a broader scale as well. The key to our success here is the way we work with scientific institutions, local interest groups and key opinion leaders. More and more countries are now also pursuing comprehensive hydrogen strategies, generating a steadily growing interest in hydrogen mobility applications.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen’s fuel cell system not only provides proof of our technological openness, but also impressively demonstrates the expertise the BMW Group has developed in electric drive technologies. The vehicle showcases hydrogen’s potential for the future of mobility and once again reinforces the BMW Group as a pioneer in this technology.