The German company on Thursday (March 10) confirmed that tests close to the Arctic Circle will help the group press ahead with the development of the fuel cell vehicle, bringing that well-awaited commercialisation date one step closer.

As a stepping-stone towards mass production, BMW has said it will produce a small series of the model later in the year and will also help expand the network of hydrogen fuelling station – a move that will encourage the uptake of the car, and many like it.

In Sweden, integrated functional tests and validation of the fuel cell system, hydrogen tanks, peak power battery and central vehicle control unit have already confirmed that the CO2-free mobility option can also be relied on to provide sustainable driving pleasure with high levels of comfort and unrestricted performance.

Happy with the progress, Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development, said, “The winter testing under extreme conditions clearly shows that the BMW iX5 Hydrogen can also deliver full performance in temperatures of -20°C and therefore represents a viable alternative to a vehicle powered by a battery-electric drive system.

“For us to be able to offer our customers a fuel cell drive system as an attractive sustainable mobility solution, a sufficiently extensive hydrogen infrastructure also needs to be in place.”

Developed on the basis of the BMW X5, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen combines fuel cell technology with a fifth-generation BMW eDrive. Hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, which together hold almost six kilogrammes of hydrogen.

After racking up hundreds of sessions on test rigs and in-depth field testing on the road, this adds another chapter to its development story. For BMW themselves, the evidence is now there for all to see: In the extreme cold, the hydrogen fuel cell drive system displays the same everyday usability as a conventional internal combustion engine.

Jürgen Guldner, Vice-President of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects at the BMW Group, added, “The hydrogen fuel cell drive system combines the best of both drive worlds, regardless of the time of year and outside temperatures: it offers the locally emission-free mobility of an electric vehicle and the unrestricted everyday usability – including short refuelling stops – familiar from models with an internal combustion engine.”

Making hydrogen happen

This March, H2 View will explore A Climate for Action and Investment in Europe in an immersive virtual event that features some of the leading stakeholders and influencers in hydrogen, including a Women in Green Hydrogen panel.

Confirmed speakers include the Hydrogen Europe, Clean Hydrogen Partnership, FiveT Hydrogen, Airbus, Nel, BMW, Michelin and more.

Further information on the event, agenda and confirmed speakers can be found here.

To book your ticket for €79, click here.