Munich/Arjeplog. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is currently
undergoing a demanding programme of testing in extremely challenging
weather conditions. It is all part of final winter testing for the car
on public roads and at the BMW Group’s testing centre in Arjeplog,
northern Sweden. The integrated functional testing and validation of
the fuel cell system, hydrogen tanks, peak power battery and central
vehicle control unit have confirmed that this additional
CO2-free mobility option can also be relied on to provide
sustainable driving pleasure with high levels of comfort and
unrestricted performance in extreme sub-zero temperatures.
The tests close to the Arctic Circle see the BMW Group pressing ahead
with its development process for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen. The company
will produce a small series of the model later in the year and is also
committed to helping expand the network of hydrogen fuelling stations.
“The winter testing under extreme conditions clearly shows that the
BMW iX5 Hydrogen can also deliver full performance in temperatures of
-20°C and therefore represents a viable alternative to a vehicle
powered by a battery-electric drive system,” says Frank Weber,
Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development.
“For us to be able to offer our customers a fuel cell drive system as
an attractive sustainable mobility solution, a sufficiently extensive
hydrogen infrastructure also needs to be in place.”
BMW iX5 Hydrogen: hallmark BMW dynamics, range and everyday
usability all year round.
In these test runs on the
ice and snow around Arjeplog, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is busy
demonstrating how reliably, comfortably and powerfully its hydrogen
fuel cell drive system can already meet the mobility requirements of
everyday life. After racking up hundreds of sessions on test rigs and
in-depth field testing on the road, this adds another chapter to its
development story.
The evidence is there for all to see: here, in this extreme cold, the
hydrogen fuel cell drive system displays the same everyday usability
as a conventional internal combustion engine. Full system power
quickly comes on tap. Even in these freezing conditions, the drive
system continues to offer its full operating range. And replenishing
the hydrogen tanks takes only three to four minutes, even in the
depths of winter. “The hydrogen fuel cell drive system combines the
best of both drive worlds, regardless of the time of year and outside
temperatures: it offers the locally emission-free mobility of an
electric vehicle and the unrestricted everyday usability – including
short refuelling stops – familiar from models with an internal
combustion engine,” says Jürgen Guldner, Vice President of
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects at the BMW Group.
The drive system on board the BMW iX5 Hydrogen teams fuel cell
technology with an electric motor using fifth-generation BMW
eDrive technology. The hydrogen it uses as an energy source
is stored in two 700-bar tanks made from carbon-fibre-reinforced
plastic (CFRP). The fuel cell converts the hydrogen into electric
power, generating output of 125 kW/170 hp. Plus, the electric motor
can add the energy stored in a power battery to the mix. This battery
is charged either through energy recovery or from the fuel cell. All
of which means that system output of 275 kW/374 hp is
available when the driver decides to explore the upper reaches of the
car’s dynamic abilities. The only emission released by the fuel cell
is water vapour. And its waste heat is harnessed particularly
efficiently to warm the car’s interior.
Unique drive system meets all requirements.
The
drive, energy storage and control systems all pass the ultimate test
of endurance in the wintery surrounds of Lapland. Added to which,
specially prepared ice surfaces and snow-covered roads offer the
perfect conditions to test the integrated application of all the drive
and chassis systems. This also encompasses the steering, springs and
dampers, as well as the chassis control systems and the interplay of
the friction brakes and deceleration by energy recuperation. Here
again, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is able to make its strengths count, as it
also weighs less than a comparable battery-electric model.
The combination of fuel cell and peak power battery gives the BMW iX5
Hydrogen a globally unique drive system. Its
technology has the potential to add another pillar to the BMW Group’s
drive system portfolio for locally CO2-free mobility. BMW i
– as a brand focused entirely on mobility producing zero local
emissions – could in future offer vehicles with a hydrogen fuel cell
drive system alongside its battery-electric models. This would allow
it, most strikingly, to meet the mobility requirements of customers
who do not have their own access to electric charging infrastructure,
frequently travel long distances or desire a high degree of flexibility.