BMW began work on its hydrogen fuel cell-powered iX5 crossover four years ago, and the automaker now claims the electric vehicle is entering the next critical phase of product development. The German luxury car brand’s first hydrogen crossover is said to be entering production soon. BMW will roll out fewer than 100 of these electric vehicles and test them with different target groups when the fleet goes live in 2024.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen crossover is said to be able to produce a peak power of 401 horsepower and has a range of 504 kilometers on a single charge. Also, what’s very interesting about this hydrogen electric vehicle is that the car can be fully refueled in about three to four minutes, unlike lithium-ion battery electric vehicles that take about five to eight hours to charge.
Also read: BMW Neue Klasse may get hydrogen fuel cell tech.details here
The hydrogen crossover features twin carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic tanks that can store nearly 6kg of hydrogen, which allows the EV to sprint from standstill to 100km/h in less than 6 seconds with a top speed of more than 180km/h.
The German auto giant has been sourcing individual hydrogen fuel cells from Toyota and producing fuel cell stacks at its in-house hydrogen center in Munich. The two auto giants have been collaborating on hydrogen fuel cell technology since 2013 with the launch of the new Toyota Supra.
BMW combines a fuel cell system with its fifth-generation Drive powertrain technology, which includes an electric motor, transmission and a specially developed lithium-ion battery pack.
BMW is aiming to become a significant player in the luxury zero-emissions vehicle segment, aiming to begin mass production of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle jointly developed with Toyota as early as 2025.
First published date: Feb 28, 2023 at 11:38 AM CST
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto/electric-vehicles/bmw-ix5-hydrogen-suv-to-enter-production-soon-testing-begins-in-2023-41677561554811.html