BMW is piloting a fleet of nearly 100 hydrogen vehicles.

The BMW iX5 has been in development for four years but is now being deployed internationally for trial purposes.

The model offers a range of 313 miles, with the hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which can be filled up in three to four minutes.

Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said: “Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play in the energy transition process and therefore in climate protection. After all, it is one of the most efficient ways of storing and transporting renewable energies. We should use this potential to also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector. Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility. One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide.”

The BMW iX5 is part of the Group’s ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign’, which aims to achieve full climate neutrality throughout the value chain.

The next step in this process involves the BMW Group’s plan to reduce CO2 emissions per vehicle over its full lifecycle by at least 40% by 2030 compared with 2019.