The Bavarian firm has officially presented its hydrogen-powered X5, which will be launched this year in limited series. 100 units will be displayed internationally.
BMW chose Antwerp in Belgium tounveil the model. This is no coincidence, as the ports of Antwerp and Bruges are set to become a hub for hydrogen in Europe, with notably the PlugPower factory project. The fact is that the German brand is back on hydrogen, 20 years after testing it in a combustion engine. This time, BMW is equipping the iX5 with a fuel cell from Toyota (125 kW). It is combined with a 295 kW (401 hp) electric motor and a 6 kg hydrogen tank.
Claiming a range of 500 km, the SUV refuels in just a few minutes. This first vehicle has been in development for four years and will be produced in Munich.
BMW believes that hydrogen is complementary to the battery. The group sold 215,000 electric vehicles last year. The share of EVs, which was 9% in 2022, will be 15% this year and will exceed 50% in 2030.
Before going any further, the German manufacturer is waiting for the implementation of a refuelling infrastructure and supports all projects developing the hydrogen sector, be it in Germany or in Europe.
Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King
