Bmw Ix5: The Popular X5 Gets An Electric Makeover As The Ix5 – BMW will use September’s Munich auto show to preview the hydrogen-electric X5, due to enter limited production in 2022.
The car was first seen in 2019 as the iHydrogen Next concept. It is currently in the prototype stage and was confirmed on Tuesday to go by the name iX5 Hydrogen.
Bmw Ix5: The Popular X5 Gets An Electric Makeover As The Ix5
A hydrogen electric car is similar to a battery electric car, but instead of getting power from a charged battery, it relies on a stack of hydrogen fuel cells. In the case of the iX5 Hydrogen, the fuel cell sits up front and draws hydrogen from two tanks, one in the X5’s transmission tunnel and one under the rear seat. The tanks are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and hold about 13 pounds of hydrogen at 10,000 psi. It only takes a few minutes to fill out.
Bmw Launching Ix5 Hydrogen Pilot Fleet
A fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen from the air to produce electricity in a process where the only product is water. Electricity primarily powers a single motor on the rear axle, but is also used to charge a small battery that provides extra juice to the motor under high load conditions. Total system output is 368 hp. The fuel cell itself produces around 167 hp.
BMW is also keen to point out that it’s not just the iX5’s hydrogen powertrain that’s green. The car’s aerodynamically shaped 22-inch wheels are wrapped in new pearly tires made from natural rubber and a wood-based synthetic fiber known as rayon. This material replaces many petroleum-based synthetic rubbers used in modern tires.
Don’t get too excited about buying the iX5 Hydrogen. Ignoring the fact that hydrogen fueling stations are impossible to find in many areas, the small batch of iX5 Hydrogen that will be built will be used for demonstration and testing purposes only. BMW doesn’t expect to have any hydrogen-electric cars in dealerships until 2025. The automaker said the date could be later depending on market direction.
Despite the challenges facing hydrogen-electric vehicles, BMW intends to provide customers with an optional powertrain in the future, be it gasoline, diesel, battery or hydrogen. As for hydrogen, BMW sees it as an opportunity for customers who drive long distances or live in areas without proper charging infrastructure.
Bmw Ix5 Hydrogen: Behind The Wheel Of A Pioneer
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Spy Shots Supercars Videos Concept Cars SUVs Hybrids First Drive Racing Muscle Cars Industrial Electric Cars Luxury Cars Car Tech Features See All You’ve probably seen your fair share of speed tests done with cars that have combustion engines and/or large batteries. Well, it varies between 0 and 124 mph (200 km/h) because the BMW iX5 doesn’t have a gas/diesel engine or a big, heavy battery. The hydrogen SUV comes with a small 2-kWh battery but only to get juice from the regenerative braking system. This 400-volt lithium-ion battery also acts as a power buffer and aids acceleration.
It was a chance to see how much performance you get from a hydrogen SUV. The BMW iX5 is certainly not slow for such a big and heavy car. It hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than six seconds and had no problem exceeding 124 mph (200 km/h). Sure, it’s not the X5 M60, let alone the X5 M, but it could keep the X5 xDrive50e plug-in hybrid and its inline-six engine.
Based on the pre-LCI X5, the fuel cell iX5 has around 401 horsepower (295 kW) and even a dedicated Sport mode. It unleashes full power and stiffens the suspension to enable a more engaging drive. Interestingly, the SUV has a rear-wheel drive configuration, which only the entry-level X5 sDrive40 still offers in the US.
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Like all previous hydrogen BMWs, you can’t really buy the iX5. The fuel cell SUV is part of a trial fleet of less than 100 units undergoing trials worldwide. However, there may come a time when people will be able to buy a hydrogen BMW. We hear the next-generation X5 (“G65”) will get a fuel cell derivative on the same CLAR platform. This could happen as early as 2027.
Little is known about the new X5, but it is said to get X-shaped headlights and a battery-powered electric derivative. The latter will be followed in 2025 by the CLAR architecture instead of the smaller iX3 getting Neue Klasse hardware.
Adrian Padiano is the news editor. He began his career in journalism at WorldCarFans/Motor1 in 2012, bringing years of automotive experience to the BMW news world. BMW iX5 Hydrogen: First Drive in BMW’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell SUV We’re behind the wheel of a hydrogen fuel cell version. BMW X5: Is it the next big leap for zero-emission cars?
Despite the rise in popularity of electric and hybrid cars over the past two decades, hydrogen-powered vehicles have struggled to gain a foothold However, BMW is one of the few brands that has dared to dip its toes into the world of hydrogen fuel cell technology, and the result of the company’s efforts is: the iX5 Hydrogen.
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This hydrogen fuel cell version of the BMW X5 SUV is not for the showroom. Instead, the 100 examples built (some of which are coming to the UK) will hit the roads this spring, acting as a rolling laboratory to see if hydrogen has a place in the car’s future.
BMW has previously said it won’t offer fuel cell cars for sale to the public until 2025, but the brand seems committed to hydrogen technology: “BMW i – as a brand that focuses entirely on mobility that produces zero local emissions – in the future. May offer vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell drive systems along with its battery-electric models.”
The iX5 has two carbon fiber-reinforced plastic tanks that can hold a total of about 6 kilos of hydrogen, which feed fuel cells mounted under the bonnet. This is what converts hydrogen fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction, with the energy then stored in batteries. Batteries can also be charged using kinetic energy derived from decay, similar to an electric car.
This power drives the electric motor to the rear wheels. This is the fifth generation of BMW’s eDrive electronic powertrain technology, which can already be found in the i4 saloon and iX1 SUV as well as the i7 limousine. The result is a total power output of 396bhp, the only exhaust being water vapor and heat, the latter used to heat the cabin.
Bmw Group To Bring Ix5 Hydrogen Pilot Fleet Into Service In 2023
The iX5’s hydrogen range is about 311 miles, according to BMW. That’s not quite the 380 miles the all-electric BMW iX can cover on a single charge, but compared to an EV that takes half an hour to go from 10-80%, it’s totally worth it. The iX5 takes just three to five minutes.
There are only a few visual changes to differentiate the iX5 Hydrogen from the regular (previous) X5, such as blue accents and a blocky grille. The on-road experience also uses 3D printed parts on the lower body and bumper and rides on 22-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels with more blue flashes on the seats.
Despite the additional hydrogen cylinder, battery and motor, the interior space is no different from the conventional X5, meaning the iX5 is spacious. This is thanks to the hydrogen tanks installed under the rear seats, and the other is located in the transmission tunnel. Boot space doesn’t seem to be badly affected.
From behind the wheel, the iX5 Hydrogen behaves much like the electric iX3 and iX SUVs with which it shares some of its drivetrain. It drives quietly and very quickly thanks to good torque and is slightly lighter than an equivalent battery-electric car. It still weighs around 2.5 tonnes, yet the 0-62mph sprint takes less than six seconds.
Bmw X5 Preview
But rather than amazing performance, it’s the refinement on offer that surprised us, as well as the smooth ride from the soft suspension that smoothes out any bumps or cracks in the road. Simply put, the iX5 Hydrogen feels comfortable without being particularly dynamic; As a big heavy SUV, the hydrogen-powered X5 feels a bit uncomfortable at times. Steering is light and precise, grip is good, and body roll is kept largely under control.
The biggest chink in its armor is the same as all hydrogen-powered ones we’ve driven: the filling. The job itself couldn’t be easier, as you simply open the rear filler flap, click the nozzle into place and lock it with the lever before pressing the start button on the pump. Then, three to five minutes later, you’re on your way again.
However, finding a hydrogen filling station may prove difficult, as the UK’s infrastructure has actually been declining in recent years.
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