BMW has started its production of the hydrogen-powered iX5 concept SUV

The German prestige car giant has begun production of the iX5 Hydrogen Concept Car, first shown in 2019.
Image: BMW Group

BMW has begun its production of hydrogen fuel cells as well as the hydrogen powered version of its popular X5 SUV, called the iX5 Hydrogen.

The iX5 will be powered by two electric motors. However, instead of storing electricity from a battery pack, the hydrogen cell will generate energy created by a chemical reaction between the stored hydrogen, and oxygen from the air. The fuel cell will be able to produce up to 125kW of electricity.

There are a couple of benefits to a car being powered by hydrogen, the absence of a lithium battery pack reduces the risk of the car catching on fire, and it makes the car much lighter, a benefit appreciated by Lamborghini, who are also exploring hydrogen as an alternative to lithium batteries and combustion engines.

The iX5 Hydrogen is still a concept car, so customers shouldn't expect to get their hands on one before 2025, according to BMW.