BMW is moving forward with its technology-open strategy by offering the new X5 model in five drivetrain options:
- Gasoline
- Plug-in Hybrid
- Diesel (outside the U.S.)
- Battery Electric
- Hydrogen Fuel-Cell
The hydrogen version, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, will be the company’s first hydrogen-fuel-cell model in series production, starting in 2028.
BMW wants to serve a variety of markets and customer needs. Different regions, different infrastructure availability, different preferences mean that having multiple drivetrain options gives BMW the ability to adapt. BMW views hydrogen as a complementary technology to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), especially where BEVs might not be optimal (e.g. in terms of range, charging infrastructure, or specific use cases). Hydrogen offers benefits for renewable energy integration, acting as storage and helping stabilize energy supply and demand.
The fuel cell tech in the iX5 Hydrogen comes from BMW’s collaboration with Toyota, specifically the third-generation system. The aim is to make it more compact, more powerful, more efficient—and with reduced energy consumption.
HyMoS Initiative: Building the Hydrogen Ecosystem
To make hydrogen practical at scale, BMW is pushing the HyMoS (Hydrogen Mobility at Scale) initiative:
- It seeks to expand hydrogen refueling infrastructure in cities and regions via partnerships, pooling demand across vehicle types (passenger, bus, truck).
- A pilot phase is happening now in Germany and France, to test how these ecosystems can work, with an eye toward broader deployment.
2028 will be the year when the iX5 Hydrogen enters series production. Manufacturing, development, and procurement strategies are being adapted to support the flexibility of producing multiple drivetrain types—including the hydrogen fuel cell.
