BMW Expands into Hydrogen Power with Fuel-Cell SUV Based on the X5

• The BMW iX5 hydrogen fuel-cell SUV is now entering low-volume production and will begin testing in select regions next spring.

• Based on the regular BMW X5, the iX5 is retrofitted with a fuel-cell stack, an electric motor and battery, and a new floor to fit its hydrogen tanks.

• BMW believes both electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles are necessary to combat climate change, with the iX5 a potential precursor to future models.

Along with a growing number of automakers, BMW says it's committed to combatting global climate change and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. Unlike many automakers, however, the German brand believes hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will play a big role in reaching that goal, alongside battery-electric vehicles, of course.

Leading the charge is the hydrogen-powered BMW iX5 SUV that has just begun low-volume production. It was first previewed a few years ago by the i Hydrogen Next concept that appeared at the 2019 Frankfurt auto show. Starting sometime next spring (2023), the small batch of iX5s that BMW is now building will hit the streets in select regions around the world for testing purposes.

Based on the regular BMW X5, which is built in the company's factory in Spartansburg, South Carolina, the iX5 is assembled at BMW's Research and Innovation Center in Munich, Germany. The transformation from X5 to iX5 includes swapping in an entirely new floor to fit the fuel-cell system's two hydrogen tanks that are located under the mid-size SUV's central tunnel and rear seats. The tanks have a total capacity of about 16 pounds and feed an underhood fuel-cell stack paired with a rear-mounted electric motor and battery.