BMW tests hydrogen-powered X5 SUV on European roads

BMW has started testing a hydrogen version of its X5 SUV. The car manufacturer is conducting test drives with this car on European roads. BMW expects small-scale production of the hydrogen car to start in 2022.

BMW reports in a press release that the test drives with prototypes of the hydrogen cars are intended, among other things, to “validate the efficiency, safety, user-friendliness and reliability of all components” under real conditions.

Among other things, it wants to evaluate the efficiency of the hydrogen fuel cells in the car. The manufacturer does not yet announce a concrete range, but speaks in the press release of ‘several hundreds of kilometers in all weather conditions’. BMW also wants to coordinate the software that controls all driving and operating functions with the test drives.

The car manufacturer also mentions a maximum power of 275 kW, or 374 hp. That power is achieved when users use the performance buffer of a separate battery in the car. According to BMW, that corresponds reasonably with the “most powerful six-cylinder engines” that the company currently offers in its petrol cars. This buffer can be used, for example, during short moments of acceleration, for example during overtaking, writes BMW. Without this performance buffer, the power would be 125 kW or 170 hp.

BMW already announced this i Hydrogen Next car in 2019 . The company already reported at the time that it is a variant of its X5 SUV that runs on hydrogen and should be on the market in 2022. BMW confirms this again, but does report that it expects small-scale production of the car for the time being. It’s not clear how many i Hydrogen Next cars BMW expects to deliver next year.