The small series of iX5 Hydrogen vehicles are planned to be built in 2022 ahead of being used worldwide for test and demonstration purposes. BMW says the fuel cell offers 125kW or 170 horsepower (hp).

Once in combinations with an electric engine from the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology and high-performance battery, the company believes the vehicle will boast 374hp or 275kW on road.

As the company starts production of the in-house developed fuel cell systems, the group takes a leap forward in its determination to offer sustainable electromobility solutions.

Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said, “As a versatile energy source, hydrogen has a key role to play on the road to climate neutrality. And it will also gain substantially in importance as far as personal mobility is concerned. We think hydrogen-powered vehicles are ideally placed technologically to fit alongside battery-electric vehicles and complete the electric mobility picture.

“By commencing small-scale production of fuel cells today, we are demonstrating the technical maturity of this type of drive system and underscoring its potential for the future.”

The iX5 Hydrogen has been under development for some time. In March this year (2022), BMW announced it had found success when testing the vehicle in sub-zero extreme performance tests.

Read more: Frosty trials prove a fantastic success for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen

Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG for Development, added, “Our many years of research and development work have enabled us to get the very most out of hydrogen technology. We have managed to more than double the fuel cell’s continuous output in the second-generation fuel cell in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, while weight and size have both decreased drastically.”