This BMW iX5 is electric, but you can still refuel!

Electric vehicle sales are on the rise and so is concern about how we’re going to charge all of those cars. According to Jürgen Guldner, head of the hydrogen program at BMW, we have a problem. “The power grid can’t handle that,” he says. The solution: hydrogen. BMW is therefore showing a new concept model, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

It has a fuel cell that can generate 125 kW, a hydrogen tank with a capacity of 6 kilos and a battery in the rear that is good for 170 kW. Together they drive a 295 kW (400 hp) electric motor located on the rear axle.

The BMW iX5 drives electrically, but you can still refuel

“The battery is often not used,” explains technician Heiko Walter, “but it is necessary. A fuel cell takes some time to generate electricity and therefore cannot react immediately to the accelerator pedal. The short delay is compensated with power from the battery pack. Driving with this battery alone is not possible. Its capacity is so low that it would be empty after 6 kilometers at the latest.”

With a full hydrogen tank, the iX5 Hydrogen can travel a maximum of 504 kilometers (WLTP). Even if you don’t drive too fast and need to accelerate quickly. But the BMW can. The SUV, which weighs around 2400 kilos, sprints from zero to one hundred in less than 6 seconds. Its top speed is limited to 180 kilometers per hour.

BMW does not see hydrogen as a substitute for electricity, but as a supplement. Jurgen Guldner says we shouldn’t expect separate hydrogen models from the brand like Toyota is doing with the Mirai. However, we can assume that BMW’s electric cars will also be available with fuel cells. However, this will take a while. Even if Guldner emphasizes: “Now it’s really going to happen”. You can read more about the BMW iX5 in Autovisie magazine number 5, which will be available in stores from Thursday!