PressClub Global · Article.
BMW Group commences production of small-series hydrogen-powered model.
02.12.2022 Press Release
+++ Manufacture of small-series BMW iX5 Hydrogen at the Research and Innovation Centre’s pilot plant in Munich +++ Test fleet will go into service worldwide from spring 2023 +++
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BMW Group
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Carolin Seidel
BMW Group
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Munich. The BMW Group is commencing production of its
BMW iX5 Hydrogen model. Manufacture of the small-series
hydrogen-powered vehicle is taking place in the pilot plant at its
Munich Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ). The first ever Sports
Activity Vehicle (SAV) featuring hydrogen fuel cell technology has
already completed an intensive programme of testing under demanding
conditions during the development phase and will now be used as a
technology demonstrator for locally carbon-free mobility in selected
regions from spring 2023.
“Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to
play as we progress towards climate neutrality,” says Frank
Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for
Development. “We are certain that hydrogen is set to gain
significantly in importance for individual mobility and therefore
consider a mixture of battery and fuel cell electric drive systems to
be a sensible approach in the long term. Fuel cells don’t require any
critical raw materials such as cobalt, lithium or nickel either, so by
investing in this type of drive system we are also strengthening the
geopolitical resilience of the BMW Group. Our BMW iX5 Hydrogen test
fleet will allow us to gain new and valuable insights, enabling us to
present customers with an attractive product range once the hydrogen
economy becomes a widespread reality.”
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is being built in the BMW Group’s pilot
plant at its Research and Innovation Centre in Munich. This is the
interface between development and production where every new model
from one of the company’s brands is made for the first time. Around
900 people work there in the body shop, assembly, model engineering,
concept vehicle construction and additive manufacturing. They each
work on up to six vehicle projects simultaneously and are tasked with
ensuring that both the product and the manufacturing process are ready
for series production. In the case of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen,
specialists in hydrogen technology, vehicle development and initial
assembly of new models have been working closely together to integrate
the cutting-edge drive and energy storage technology.
“Production of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and the BMW-developed fuel
cell systems demonstrates our supreme flexibility and unrivalled
know-how in the field of small-scale manufacture,” remarks
Milan Nedeljković,
Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for
Production. “It shows we already boast the necessary
expertise for integrating hydrogen technology into the BMW iFACTORY
production system as an additional type of drive.”
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the USA supplies the base
vehicles for the hydrogen model, which has been developed on the
platform of the BMW X5. They are fitted with a new floor assembly in
the pilot plant’s body shop that makes it possible to accommodate the
two hydrogen tanks in the centre tunnel and under the rear seat unit.
The model-specific 12V and 400V electrical systems,
high-performance battery, electric motor and fuel cell are all
integrated during the assembly stage, alongside standard
production parts. Positioned in the rear axle area together with the
high-performance battery, the electric motor is a product of the
current, fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology also employed in
battery electric and plug-in hybrid models from BMW. The fuel
cell systems located under the bonnet of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen
have been manufactured at BMW’s in-house competence centre for
hydrogen in Garching to the north of Munich since August this year.
Numerous components are produced exclusively for the
hydrogen-powered SAV, including some made at the Additive
Manufacturing Campus – the BMW Group’s competence centre for 3D
printing – which also forms part of the pilot plant. The BMW iX5
Hydrogen passes through all the customary stages of production,
starting at the body shop then proceeding to the paint shop and
assembly before ending with a final inspection of each individual
vehicle. Following this, every vehicle undergoes a comprehensive
operational check at the BMW Group’s test centre in Aschheim.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen combines all the benefits of a locally
emission-free drive system with outstanding everyday usability and
long-distance capabilities. This makes its hydrogen fuel cell
technology an attractive complementary alternative to the battery
electric drive system. This is especially true for customers for whom
short refuelling stops and long ranges are a must, as well as for
regions still lacking an adequate charging infrastructure.