Despite the release of the BMW X5 Hybrid and BMW iX, BMW continues to believe that going fully electric is not the way to go. That’s why, at a roundtable discussion, it wanted to remind everyone that the Bavarian brand is still very much into hydrogen.
According to BMWBlog, Pieter Nota, the BMW board member in charge of sales and marketing, stated that the company is continually working on hydrogen powertrains. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen prototype, which will debut in 2023, is a perfect illustration of Nota’s views.
Despite confirming its commitment to hydrogen, BMW recognizes that getting a completely production-ready hydrogen car for the worldwide market would be a long process. The iX5 isn’t going to be mass-produced, at least not at first. Instead, a small fleet of hydrogen SUVs will be made accessible to the media, VIPs, and select consumers, according to BMW.
BMW claims that filling the hydrogen X5’s fuel cells will take only 3-5 minutes, but that isn’t the issue. The issue is the lack of hydrogen infrastructure.
BMW believes that hydrogen power will be helpful for long-distance cars in the future. BMW could incorporate a fleet of hydrogen cars into its own corporate travel infrastructure, allowing it to top up almost anyplace with a BMW emblem on the front, from factories to dealers. It remains to be seen how all of this plays out for BMW, and the company’s next actions will most likely be disclosed ahead of the iX5 Hydrogen’s launch.
