“Missing piece:” BMW adds new hydrogen fuel cell model to iX5 drivetrains

German automaker BMW has unveiled a new hydrogen fuel-cell version of its iX5, bringing the total number of drivetrain variants for the model up to 5 – including battery electric vehicle (BEV), plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV), diesel, and petrol.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is the company’s first series-produced hydrogen-powered model and follows the successful testing of a worldwide pilot fleet. Set to go on sale in 2028, the iX5 is based on the third-generation hydrogen fuel cell system that the BMW has been developing in collaboration with  Toyota.

Despite the relatively uninspiring progress of hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicles around the globe in recent years, BMW is nevertheless hyping the launch of the iX5 Hydrogen as a key component in its “technology-open approach”.

BMW insists hydrogen fuel cell technology “is the missing piece for completing the electric mobility puzzle where battery electric drive systems are not an optimal solution.” This, according to BMW, means that they can successfully meet a variety of demands and customer needs around the globe, both now and in the future.

“By launching the new BMW X5 with a choice of five drive system variants, we are once again demonstrating our leading position as a technology pioneer,” said Joachim Post, a member of the BMW AG board of management responsible for development, speaking at an BMW event in New York on Monday.

“Hydrogen has an essential part to play in global decarbonisation, which is why we are committed to driving the technology forward.”

In addition to developing and delivering the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, BMW is also “actively involved” in efforts to expand hydrogen refuelling networks under the Hydrogen Mobility at Scale (HyMoS) initiative.

HyMoS is designed to establish support for hydrogen mobility ecosystems in cooperation with industry and institutional partners, increasing the economic viability of hydrogen mobility systems by pooling the demand for all types of vehicles, and promoting the development of hydrogen refuelling stations in metropolitan areas.