BMW i Hydrogen NEXT Testing
The BMW i Hydrogen NEXT, BMW’s hydrogen-powered take on the X5 is now out testing on the road ahead of a debut in late 2022.
BMW took the i Hydrogen NEXT to the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2019 – when we actually had motor shows, although with no big fanfare – using the X5 as the basis and inserting a hydrogen fuel cell and related gubbins with help from Toyota.
BMW said they had no plans for big production, but they were aiming to get models on the road by the end of 2022, and that looks to be moving on as the hydrogen-powered X5 hits the road for testing.
Prototypes of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT will now be out in everyday conditions on Europe’s roads to ensure the hydrogen system work with its specific chassis and electronics.
Frank Weber, BMW Board Member for Development, said:
Hydrogen fuel cell technology can be an attractive option for sustainable drive trains – especially in larger vehicle classes.
That is why road testing of near-standard vehicles with a hydrogen fuel cell drive train is an important milestone in our research and development efforts.
The powertrain utilises the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology – just like the iX and i4 – to generate 170bhp, but a performance buffer battery – which charges using recovered energy – boosts that to 374bhp when you need it. Meaning this hydrogen X5 has the same available power as BMW’s most powerful six-pot petrol.
All we need now is somewhere to fill up with hydrogen.
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