BMW plans to launch hydrogen-powered iX5 Hydrogen in 2028
BMW is testing prototypes of the hydrogen-powered iX5 Hydrogen crossover in Germany and France. The company plans to launch the model in 2028 as its first series-production vehicle with hydrogen fuel cells. According to Motor1, BMW is targeting acceleration from 0 to 62 mph, or nearly 100 km/h, in about five seconds.
Range and refueling
The iX5 Hydrogen is set to receive a third-generation fuel-cell system that BMW is developing jointly with Toyota. According to BMW, the new unit is 25% more compact than the previous-generation system, which should free up packaging space without reducing output.
Hydrogen will be stored in a flat high-pressure tank system located beneath the vehicle's floor. It holds up to seven kilograms of hydrogen. BMW claims a range of up to 750 kilometers under the WLTP cycle on a single fill-up and expects refueling to take less than five minutes.
The production iX5 Hydrogen will come standard with xDrive all-wheel drive and the M Sport package. The prototypes are based on the upcoming G65-generation BMW X5, which is also planned to have gasoline, plug-in hybrid and fully electric versions.
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Testing and production preparations
The prototypes are undergoing testing at the test site in Aschheim near Munich and at the Miramas proving ground in southern France. The tests examine the powertrain's operation in extreme temperatures and at high altitudes.
At the same time, BMW is preparing component production. A new phase of fuel-cell system assembly has begun at the Hydrogen Competence Centre in Munich, while BMW's Landshut plant is already carrying out pre-series production of the Energy Master power electronics unit. BMW's plant in Steyr, Austria, has installed its first test benches and production equipment and has also begun training employees.
BMW plans to begin production of the new X5 family, including the electric iX5, at its plant in Spartanburg, United States, in December 2026. At the same time, the company acknowledges that the practicality of the hydrogen model will depend on the development of hydrogen refueling station networks in the United States and Europe.
