Hydrogen isnt dead BMW teases iX5 with space-saving fuel cell system that offers emissions-free motoring for up to 385 miles

Date:
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
BMW says its iX5 Hydrogen will go into production in 2028, but is there
really still life in hydrogen cars?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
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Building on this line up, BMW is also readying the next iteration of its 5 Series, beginning with an all-new X5. The sleek bodywork of the iX5 has already been snapped by a number of spy photographers, but the German marque has now officially revealed that it plans to produce a variety of powertrains on the same production line, including pure electric, plug-in hybrid and... hydrogen. Article continues below You may like BMW reveals i3 EV with
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Despite extremely low levels of uptake for fuel cell vehicles, which promises the same filling times as conventional combustion engines with nothing but water emitted from the tailpipes, BMW feels there is still life left in the technology.

So much so that its engineers have come up with a novel way of packaging the system so that seven, 700 bar high-pressure hydrogen tanks lay flat side-by-side and form part of the powertrain.

According to its designers, the unique set-up combines the fuel cell system and the marques latest high-voltage battery design, as well as boasting the Heart of Joy drivetrain and chassis control software, as well as BMW Dynamic Performance Control that have had plaudits raving about the iX3. (Image credit: BMW) Think of it as installation Tetris: every customer gets the
drive system best suited to their needs and a true BMW X5 with no
compromises, explains Dr Joachim Post, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for development. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals,
and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
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Furthermore, the clever packaging of the hybrid system means it doesnt impede on interior roominess, while the 7kg of stored hydrogen can be filled in less than five minutes and go on to provide up to 385 miles of emissions-free motoring when fully brimmed.

BMW says it will introduce the Hydrogen model into its iX5 line-up by 2028. Analysis: Hydrogen remains seriously flawed (Image credit: Hyundai) Read to the very end of BMWs hydrogen announcement and it is revealed that the
project has been co-funded by the state of Bavaria to the tune of 82 million, while Germanys Federal Ministry of Transport is adding a further 191 million into hydrogen research projects. What to read next Toyota says it's going all-in on battery electric cars with four new models An EV that charges to
70% in 5 minutes? It's real, and it's coming to Europe soon I didnt think the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N could get much better until I drove the 6 N

Often lauded as the perfect middle-ground between battery electric vehicles and combustion engines, thanks to its rapid refuel times, hydrogen has
largely failed to find an audience, with only select markets, such as South Korea, continuing to pursue the technology.

In fact, research by the UK Energy Research Centre found that battery
electric vehicles outsold hydrogen fuel-cell models by 1,000-to-1 at time of writing in 2025, and that more Ferraris were sold each year than all makes
and models of fuel-cell vehicle combined.

This is further compounded by a distinct lack of infrastructure, with press releases celebrating the fact there were more than 1,000 fueling stations globally at the end of 2024 , although more than 50% of those are located in Asia.

Europe has around 200 stations, while there were just 89 stations in the USA at the last count. Its clearly not a popular option and, despite a huge
amount of developmental work by the likes of Toyota and Hyundai, it remains a slow burner.

Despite industry experts and Germany's policy makers clearly believing that hydrogen should still play a part in tomorrows energy mix, battery EV technology is accelerating at the sort of pace that can't be ignored.

With several Chinese brands now proving that EV charging times can take as little as five minutes , it seems counterintuitive to invest in the infrastructure required to create a reliable hydrogen refueling network.

Whats more, research has shown that producing hydrogen comes with serious carbon emissions unless done so using green energy sources, such as wind or solar.

The UK Energy Research Center concludes in its analysis that even if green hydrogen could be produced with zero emissions, every megawatt-hour of clean electricity used to make hydrogen is one less that could replace coal or gas on the power grid, or go into powering electric vehicles. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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