BMW’s new fuel-cell electric vehicle based on the X5 makes sense on many levels, but would it be viable in Australia?
- How much does the BMW iX5 Hydrogen cost?
- What equipment comes with the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
- How safe is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
- What technology does the BMW iX5 Hydrogen feature?
- What powers the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
- How fuel efficient is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
- What is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen like to drive?
- Can the BMW iX5 Hydrogen go off-road?
- What is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen like inside?
- Should I buy the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
BMW’s model line-up includes a burgeoning range of battery-electric vehicles, but the Bavarian manufacturer isn’t putting all its ionised eggs into the BEV basket, as hydrogen is still on the agenda. The company rolled out the limited-production Hydrogen 7 back in 2005, but whereas that was a combustion-powered offering, BMW’s latest hydrogen model – the iX5 Hydrogen – is an X5-derived fuel-cell electric vehicle that’s claimed to deliver a WLTP touring range of 504km, accelerate from 0-100km/h in sub-6.0sec and top 180km/h. However, the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen has for now been conceived purely for a pilot program, and it won’t be offered for sale – at least for the time being.
How much does the BMW iX5 Hydrogen cost?
As mentioned above, the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen isn’t intended for public sale – only 100 vehicles will be rolled out initially for demonstration and trial by various target groups, so there’s no price tag attached to it.
However, according to Juergen Guldner, head of BMW Group Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology, if a business case eventuated for the vehicle, it could be offered for a similar price to an equivalent BEV.
Given that the battery-electric BMW iX range kicks off at just over $135,000 (plus on-road costs) in Australia for the 240kW xDrive40i, one could expect the 295kW iX5 Hydrogen would sell from about $145,000 if BMW ever decides to offer it for public sale.
What equipment comes with the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
Given that the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen is based on the BMW X5, it’s loaded with all the same mod-cons as a well-specced version of the latter.
The vehicles we sampled at the international presentation in Antwerp were equipped with leather trim, adaptive cruise control, heated seats, dual-zone air-con, 14.9-inch infotainment touch-screen, premium sound system, adaptive air suspension, etc.
How safe is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
The 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen doesn’t as yet have a Euro NCAP rating, but BMW has subjected it to all the same crash tests as the X5 and it’s said to meet the same safety standards.
The two hydrogen tanks that store a total of 6kg of gas (pressurised at 700 bar) are housed beneath the passenger cell.
The larger of the two sits lengthways in the central tunnel – where the transmission and driveshaft are housed in the regular X5 – while the smaller of the two sits transversely below the rear seats.
The tanks are fabricated from layers of CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) and, as part of the development phase, the tanks were immersed in fire, shot at with live ammunition and subjected to various other strength and integrity tests to ensure their safety.
Guldner says that even if one of the tanks were to rupture, they’ve been designed in such a way that the pressurised hydrogen would dissipate slowly and harmlessly – so there’s no need to visualise Hollywood-style explosions or fireballs.
In other respects, the iX5 Hydrogen is equipped with all the same safety features as the regular X5, including six airbags (front, side and curtain), head-up display, dynamic cruise control, rear-view camera, forward collision mitigation, blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, a fatigue/focus alert function and parking sensors.
What technology does the BMW iX5 Hydrogen feature?
The fuel-cell drivetrain is obviously the main point of interest in the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen.
It’s housed under the bonnet, and the individual fuel cells for it were sourced from Toyota, as the two car-makers have been technology partners in fuel-cell drive systems since 2013.
The fuel cell generates electricity (125kW) via a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapour being the only emission. The latter is vented by an exhaust that exits beneath the rear half of the car.
The stack housing is manufactured in the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut using a sand-casting technique. For this, molten aluminium is poured into a mould made from compacted sand mixed with resin.
The pressure plate, which delivers hydrogen and oxygen to the fuel-cell stack, is made from cast plastic parts and light-alloy castings, also from the Landshut plant. The pressure plate forms a gas-tight and water-tight seal around the stack housing.
As mentioned earlier, the middle section of the car houses the two hydrogen tanks, and aft of these is an integrated drive unit using fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology – the electric motor, transmission and power electronics are grouped together in a compact housing at the rear axle.
What powers the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
The AC synchronous electric motor in the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen is essentially the same as that used in the BMW iX, and perched above it is a small lithium-ion ‘power battery’ that has a single-digit capacity in terms of kilowatt-hours (BMW isn’t divulging the exact figure).
The reason the power battery is small is because its sole job is to pump up peak system output to 295kW, rather than to store charge for extended durations.
It’s replenished on the go by the 125kW fuel-cell (especially while coasting or braking), so you always have massive grunt at your disposal.
BMW quotes a 0-100km/h split of sub-6.0sec, and our seat-of-the-pants assessment is that this figure sounds about right.
The 2.45-tonne SUV leaps away from standstill when you floor the throttle and there’s plenty of overtaking urge instantly available whenever you need it.
How fuel efficient is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
Fuel-cell vehicles offer a couple of key advantages over battery-electric vehicles as filling up the hydrogen tanks only takes three to four minutes (we experienced this first-hand), making it a much more practical car for long trips, as stops along the way to refuel are brief and simple.
BMW quotes a WLTP consumption figure of 1.19kg of hydrogen per 100km for the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen, which might not make a lot of sense as we’re used to seeing consumption figures in litres per 100km.
What’s more relevant is that a full load of 6kg of hydrogen enables the car to cover 504km on the WLTP cycle.
Our maiden test in Belgium saw us cover about 100km and use roughly a quarter of the 6kg hydrogen capacity in the process.
This would extrapolate to a touring range of 400km, but we made frequent use of the iX5 Hydrogen’s accelerative capabilities – in other words, I drove with a heavy-ish right foot – so it would easily be possible to extract more frugal consumption.
What is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen like to drive?
First impressions on ‘firing up’ the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen and driving a few kilometres is that it feels remarkably ‘normal’.
In other words, there’s no difference in the user experience to what you’d expect from a contemporary EV.
The hydrogen fuel-cell stack and the single rear-axle electric motor operate silently, so only a trace of wind and road noise permeates into the cabin.
This tester’s preconceived notion was that the power battery would only provide short bursts of extra power, but that’s not the case. There’s accelerative urge on tap whenever you need it as the power battery’s reserves are continually topped up by the fuel cell.
As with a BMW iX model, the available drive modes include Sport and Eco Pro – the former self-explanatory, while the latter is a high-recuperation efficiency mode.
There’s also the possibility to pull the transmission lever across to ‘B’ – instead of ‘D’ – which puts the vehicle in ultra-high recuperation mode, enabling you to resort to one-pedal driving as the car decelerates sharply the instant you take your foot off the throttle.
The rest of the drive experience is much the same as a regular X5.
BMW hasn’t officially communicated the weight of the iX5 Hydrogen, but Guldner says it tips the scales at around 2.45 tonnes, which is slightly less than an X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid.
This being the case, the iX5 has the same sense of dynamism (for a vehicle of its type) as the regular X5. It steers accurately and doesn’t wallow and roll excessively if you hustle it across winding roads.
The air suspension also serves up a supple ride.
Overall, the iX5 is an enjoyable and decently rapid SUV to drive.
Can the BMW iX5 Hydrogen go off-road?
Although it fits into the vaguely defined all-terrainer genre, the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen wasn’t conceived for off-road use.
It has reasonable ground clearance (200mm-plus) but the wheel and tyre package isn’t off-road-friendly and there are no dedicated off-road modes for harsh terrain.
Realistically, gravel roads and rutted tracks are where the iX5 Hydrogen’s off-road brief ends.
What is the BMW iX5 Hydrogen like inside?
The cabin of the 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen is much the same as a regular BMW X5. The only clues that this is a different entity are ‘Hydrogen Fuel Cell’ motifs on the inner doorsills and on the gloss-black trim panel on the dashboard.
In addition, the start/stop button is blue, and so are the outside edges of the transmission lever.
External clues to the iX5’s identity are provided by a BMW kidney grille with blue inner edging, while the inserts in the 22-inch aerodynamic wheels and the attachments in the outer portion of the rear apron are also finished in blue.
Should I buy the BMW iX5 Hydrogen?
The 2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen isn’t offered for sale for the time being, but it makes sense on many levels.
For starters, the vehicle’s power battery is significantly smaller than what you’d find in a BEV, so it requires less than one-20th of the lithium, cobalt and nickel to be extracted from the earth for its production.
In addition, refuelling stops are brief and easy, so it’s much better suited for long trips and hassle-free daily driving than a BEV, where you need to plan around comparatively lengthy recharging stops.
However, it’s still very early days for hydrogen, and there’s much work to be done on infrastructure before it can be widely adopted for vehicles.
Encouragingly, in 2019 Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy announced a $127 billion investment in hydrogen infrastructure in Australia, so there’s clearly potential for FCEVs.
2023 BMW iX5 Hydrogen at a glance:
Price: Not applicable (pilot program only)
Available: To be confirmed
Powertrain: Hydrogen fuel-cell stack, single AC synchronous electric motor, power battery
Output: 295kW
Transmission: Single-speed with fixed ratio
Battery: Lithium-ion (less than 10kWh)
Range: 504km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 1.19kg/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: BMW iX5 Hydrogen 2023 Review