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BMW iX5 Hydrogen: Test fleet launches

The fleet will be used internationally for demonstration and testing purposes for various target groups and is intended to bring new practical insights. 

BMW is now starting with the small series of the ix5 Hydrogen. | Photo: BMW
BMW is now starting with the small series of the ix5 Hydrogen. | Photo: BMW
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BMW is keeping the door open with fuel cell technology, as Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, explained at the start of the small iX5 series: “Hydrogen will play a key role in the energy transition and thus in climate protection as a versatile energy source,” said Zipse.

“This is because it is one of the most efficient ways to store and transport renewable energy. We should use this potential to also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector. Hydrogen is the missing piece of the puzzle for emission-free mobility, as a single technology will not be sufficient to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide.”

BMW is also advancing fuel cell development

In its own Hydrogen Competence Center in Munich, the BMW Group produces the highly efficient fuel cell systems of the pilot fleet. This technology is one of the core components in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and has a continuous output of 125 kW/170 hp. In the fuel cell, the chemical reaction takes place between the gaseous hydrogen from the tanks and the oxygen from the ambient air.

For high efficiency of the drive, a consistent supply of the membrane in the fuel cell with the two media is crucial. In addition to technological analogies to the combustion engine such as an intercooler, air filter, control units, and sensors, the BMW Group has also developed special hydrogen components for the new fuel cell system. These include, for example, the high-speed compressor with turbine or a high-voltage coolant pump.

The fuel cells themselves come from Toyota

The individual fuel cells are supplied to the BMW Group by Toyota Motor Corporation. Both companies look back on a long-standing collaboration and have been working together on fuel cell drives since 2013.

 

Deep Insight into Production

Based on the individual cells, the production of the fuel cell systems takes place in two essential steps: First, the individual fuel cells are stacked into a so-called fuel cell stack. In the next step, all further components are assembled into a complete fuel cell system. The so-called "stacking," i.e., the stacking of the fuel cells, is a largely automated process. After checking the individual components for damage, the stack is compressed with five tons of force by machine and equipped with a housing. The stack housing is manufactured in the light metal foundry at the BMW Group plant in Landshut using the so-called sand casting process.

In this process, liquid aluminum is poured into a mold made of compacted, resin-formed sand, in a procedure designed especially for small-series production. The media pressure plate, which supplies hydrogen and oxygen to the fuel cell stack, also consists of plastic and light-metal cast parts from the Landshut plant. The media pressure plate seals the stack housing gas-tight and water-tight.

In the final assembly of the fuel cell stack, comprehensive tests of the chemical reaction within the cells are performed in addition to a voltage test. Finally, all components are put together in the assembly area to form a complete system. In system assembly, additional components such as the compressor, the anode and cathode of the fuel cell system, the high-voltage coolant pump, and the wiring harness are installed.

In combination with a highly integrated drive unit of the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology (E-machine, transmission, and power electronics combined in a compact housing) on the rear axle and a high-performance battery with Li-Ion technology developed specifically for this vehicle, the drive train of the vehicle delivers a maximum output of 295 kW / 401 hp to the road. In coasting and braking phases, the E-machine also functions as a generator, feeding energy back into a performance battery.

Unusual: Production in the Pilot Plant Munich.


The final assembly of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen takes place in the pilot plant at the Munich FIZ (Research and Innovation Center). While the body shell and interior are supplied from the US plant in Spartanburg, where the "standard X5" is mostly manufactured. At the FIZ, which BMW describes as the "interface between development and production," every new model of the BMW Group brands is realized for the first time. Approximately 900 employees work there in the areas of body construction, assembly, model technology, concept vehicle construction, and additive manufacturing. They are to ensure that both the product and the manufacturing process are mature enough to start series production. In the case of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, specialists in hydrogen technology, vehicle development, and initial assembly of new models work closely together to integrate the innovative drive and energy storage technology.

Up to 504 kilometers range according to WLTP

The gaseous hydrogen required to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Together they hold six kilograms of hydrogen, with which the BMW iX5 Hydrogen achieves a range of 504 km in the WLTP cycle. Refueling the hydrogen tanks takes three to four minutes under ideal conditions.

What does that mean?

Well, a real commitment to the fuel cell would look different: Currently, one has the impression that BMW is keeping a "backdoor" open to the technology with the X5 small series. Which is not surprising, since the technology is still extremely expensive, the filling station network as of February 2023 is far too sparse and vulnerable, and Hyundai and Toyota continue to sell their series models only in homeopathic doses. It remains to be seen whether more models will follow the iX5 Hydrogen.

 

Translated automatically from German.
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