The HYDROGEN Concept:
A small hydrogen-powered iX5 fleet is being introduced by BMW. The fleet of fewer than 100 units will be dispersed among BMW’s reliable allies and used as trial and demonstration vehicles to determine the feasibility of the hydrogen fuel cell.
The iX5’s hydrogen fuel cell technology was developed by BMW over the course of 4 years. The first functional vehicles were employed as shuttle service at the IAA Mobility 2021 to demonstrate the technology to attendees. In 2019, the first concept car was unveiled at the IAA show.
HUGE Improvement:
BMW has been experimenting with hydrogen for a long time; the company previously produced 100 E65 and E66 variants of the 7 Series. These vehicles had V12 engines that used both hydrogen and gasoline, but their range was pitiful—50 litres of hydrogen were required to travel 100 kilometres. Although their range was a startlingly meagre 80 km, those automobiles actually couldn’t even complete the 100 km; yet, it was simply an experiment.
A highly effective hydrogen fuel cell is used in the new technology. According to BMW, the iX5’s WLTP range is 504 kilometres, or 313 miles, on 6 kilogrammes of hydrogen, or 67 gallons at 0 degrees Celsius. That’s nearly an 8-fold improvement over the previous 7-series.
The fuel cell itself, which was provided by none other than Toyota, is the main component of the revolutionary technology. BMW was able to produce 125 kW continuously (170 hp). We end up with a system that delivers 295 kW of electricity and is ideally matched with an electric drive that is rated at 295 kW or 401 kW when combined with the lithium-ion battery on board, which adds another 170 kW (231 hp).
The Tech Integration:
It’s unclear why BMW included a lithium-ion battery in the vehicle, but this is the clever part. Because the fuel cell is constantly pumping out 125 kW of electricity, it is the same as if the car was plugged into a DC charger. In most cases, electric motors draw power from the battery, and only when full power is required do both the battery and the fuel cell work together. As long as there is hydrogen in the tanks, the battery is constantly recharged and the vehicle continues to move.
The Facility:
A specialised pilot facility in Munich, Germany builds the iX5 with its hydrogen fuel cell. With access to the most recent manufacturing and development technology, the tiny team of 900 employees has expertise dealing with small volume experimental cars.
Although we can’t just go out and buy the iX5, we will eventually be able to test it out. Some of the cars will be used as press demonstrators and some will be made accessible to the general public, though many BMW partners will be testing the automobile for their own needs.
Hydrogen or Electric? – The Future:
Is this a better answer than an EV that runs on batteries, then? Both battery-powered and hydrogen-powered automobiles will be used in the future. Both approaches have detractors and each has advantages over the other. To evaluate technology in actual use, we need vehicles like the BMW iX5. If we cannot compare one answer to another in practise, there is no use in discussing. On paper, BMW’s approach appears to be quite effective and is very creative.
Considering that hydrogen costs roughly $17 per kg in California, travelling 313 miles will cost you just $102! In comparison, the BMW X5 xDrive40i gets a combined 21.9 mpg, which means it can travel 313 miles for around $71.50 at the current gas price of about $5 per gallon. With its 111.5 kWh battery pack, the BMW iX xDrive50 has a range of about 380 miles (WLTP) and can be charged for as little as $15 at home or as much as $40 at a public DC charging station if starting from scratch. This is a Californian example, and pricing will change based on where you are.
Does this illustration support anything? For the time being, electric vehicles are the most cost-effective to operate as long as electricity prices stay the same. On the other hand, gas stations are the most accessible, and if hydrogen was available at every one of them, the switchover would likely be the least troublesome.
There’s a lot more to it that it warrants its own collection of pieces, but the main conclusion should be that there is no question that we must abandon diesel and gasoline, yet it’s far too early to make a judgement on whether hydrogen or batteries are preferable. As both technologies result in lower hazardous emissions, we should concentrate on developing them. Customers will ultimately decide which technology is superior by voting with their dollars over time.