BMW has never been shy about hedging its bets when it comes to future propulsion. While rivals charge headlong into battery-only electrification, Munich is keeping every card on the table—petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, EV, and now, hydrogen. In 2028, the X5 will officially gain a fuel-cell variant, marking the brand’s first hydrogen-powered model to be offered to paying customers.
The move builds on BMW’s iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet, which has quietly been logging miles since 2023. Those vehicles, strictly used for testing and development, ran a Toyota-supplied second-generation fuel-cell stack paired with BMW’s own integration. With a combined 396 horsepower and a WLTP range of 313 miles, it was a promising appetizer. The main course arrives in four years, powered by BMW’s third-generation system.
Smaller, Stronger, Smarter
The new setup, developed once again with Toyota, is said to be 25 percent smaller than the iX5 Hydrogen’s unit but offers more power density and greater efficiency. BMW says it’s modular by design, meaning it can scale across multiple vehicle platforms. Production of the stacks will take place in Steyr, Austria, while other key components—like a new hydrogen-specific high-voltage brain dubbed the BMW Energy Master—will be built in Landshut, Germany.
Prototypes are already being pieced together at Dingolfing, with BMW board member for development Joachim Post promising “improved range, higher output, and significantly greater efficiency” compared with the current pilot fleet. Translation: expect more horsepower and more miles between fill-ups from the new X5 Hydrogen.
A Limited-Run Experiment
BMW won’t flood showrooms with this one. Sales will be limited to markets where hydrogen refueling infrastructure actually exists—a caveat that should temper any expectations of wide availability. That said, the X5 Hydrogen represents an important milestone: BMW’s first commercial hydrogen passenger vehicle after decades of dabbling.
A New-Gen X5, A New Look Inside
The hydrogen variant will ride on the upcoming fifth-generation X5, codenamed G65, which itself is due in 2026. Early prototypes reveal styling cues lifted from the next iX3, including sleeker lines and a more aggressive stance. Inside, the transformation is more radical. Out goes the familiar instrument cluster and the long-serving iDrive rotary controller. In their place: a panoramic projected display, a 17.9-inch widescreen central interface, and full reliance on voice and touch inputs.
The Long Game
BMW’s hydrogen strategy may seem contrarian in today’s EV-hungry market, but it’s a deliberate hedge. The company insists that hydrogen fuel cells can coexist with battery EVs, especially for long-distance and heavy-use scenarios. With Toyota as a partner and a modular system capable of scaling across platforms, the upcoming X5 Hydrogen is less a one-off experiment and more a test case for a wider rollout down the road.
The future of hydrogen cars remains uncertain. But BMW, never one to ignore an engineering challenge, is betting there’s room for both plugs and pumps. In 2028, the X5 will let customers decide.
Source: BMW