BMW has begun daily testing of hydrogen-powered X5 SUV prototypes. Already next year, he wants to start producing such a car.
–
In the coming years, BMW wants to offer the widest possible portfolio of powertrains to enable customers to choose the ideal drive according to their ideas. In addition to conventional cars with internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and battery electric cars, BMW also counts on the offer of hydrogen cars. One is already emerging.
BMW is starting daily testing previously announced prototype and Hydrogen Next, which is nothing more than a large X5 SUV adapted to hydrogen propulsion. However, if BMW used to flirt with the idea of burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine, it is now a more common way to use an electric motor that draws energy from hydrogen fuel cells. There it is formed by the chemical reaction of hydrogen collected in tanks and oxygen obtained by air intake.
Specifically, the carmaker uses components from the largest, fifth-generation electrical system, which debuted in the serial model iX3. In addition, the iV SUV and the i4 model also received it. On the contrary, the fuel cells come from a long-term cooperation with Toyota, which has years of experience with hydrogen propulsion, thanks to the Mirai model. Hydrogen is stored in two tanks made of carbon-reinforced plastics, which can hold six kilograms of hydrogen. It is pressurized to 700 bars.
The designers managed to extract a combined output of 275 kW from the powertrain, which corresponds to the six-cylinder petrol engines from the BMW offer. The fuel cells provide 125 kW, the rest is the balancing battery, providing enough power if needed.
“Hydrogen fuel cell technology can be an attractive choice for a sustainable powertrain – especially in larger vehicle classes,” concludes Frank Weber, BMW’s member of the development board responsible for the development of the X5 hydrogen testing.
It should be attractive especially for clients driving long distances, because hydrogen cars do not need long fast battery charging. You refuel hydrogen in about three or four minutes, which corresponds to pumping regular fuel. In addition, the range of such a car is in the hundreds of kilometers, regardless of meteorological conditions.
Intensive testing will focus mainly on careful debugging of the software controlling all driving and operating functions. The fuel cell system, hydrogen tanks, buffer batteries or central control units have so far been tested separately, through several hundred simulations performed on test equipment. However, now the system will be tested directly in real operation, under various conditions, which will allow you to verify the efficiency, reliability and comfortable operation of the device. At the same time, even in the case of hydrogen propulsion, the goal is to achieve the typical driving characteristics of BMW.
BMW also has a reason for careful testing of prototypes and Hydrogen Next. At the end of next year, it will start mass-producing the X5 with hydrogen fuel cells, albeit only in small series.
In recent months, hydrogen propulsion has once again come to the forefront of cars. Land Rover is preparing a prototype Defender with hydrogen fuel cells, concern Stellantis is once again launching hydrogen derivatives from Opel Vivaro, Citroën Jumpy and Peugeot Expert.
– .
