BMW to showcase new hydrogen powertrain in 2022

BMW is planning to pilot its latest hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain in the current BMW X5 in 2022.

The BMW i Hydrogen NEXT powertrain combines a hydrogen fuel cell with BMW’s new eDrive electric unit.

The fuel cell system generates up to 125 kW (170 hp) of electric energy from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

The electric converter located underneath the fuel cell adapts the voltage level to that of both the electric powertrain and the peak power battery, which is fed by brake energy as well as the energy from the fuel cell. The vehicle also accommodates a pair of 700 bar tanks that can together hold six kilograms of hydrogen.

The fifth-generation eDrive unit set to make its debut in the BMW iX3 is also fully integrated into the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT. The peak power battery positioned above the electric motor injects an extra dose of dynamics when overtaking or accelerating. The total system output of 275 kW (374 hp) fuels the typical driving dynamics for which BMW is renowned.

This hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain will be piloted in a small series based on the current BMW X5 that the BMW Group plans to present in 2022. A customer offer powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology will be brought to market at the earliest in the second half of this decade by the BMW Group, depending on the global market conditions and requirements.

Klaus Fröhlich, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Research and Development, said: “We are convinced that various alternative powertrain systems will exist alongside one another in future, as there is no single solution that addresses the full spectrum of customers’ mobility requirements worldwide.

"The hydrogen fuel cell technology could quite feasibly become the fourth pillar of our powertrain portfolio in the long term.

"The upper-end models in our extremely popular X family would make particularly suitable candidates here.”

This is part of BMW Group's work with Toyota Motor Corporation on fuel cell powertrain systems.