BMW X5 to Launch with Five Powertrain Options – Including Hydrogen

The new BMW X5 will be offered with five different drivetrain choices: battery electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol, diesel, and hydrogen fuel cell.

This is all part of the company’s “technology-open” strategy, promoting flexibility in meeting global demand for different propulsion systems.

“By launching the new BMW X5 with a choice of five drive system variants, we are once again demonstrating our leading position as a technology pioneer. Hydrogen has an essential part to play in global decarbonisation, which is why we are committed to driving the technology forward.”

Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development

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The New iX5 Hydrogen

From 2028, BMW will introduce its first series-produced hydrogen model: the iX5 Hydrogen. The vehicle builds on experience gained from a global pilot fleet and uses BMW’s third-generation fuel cell system, developed in collaboration with Toyota.

“The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen will be a true BMW – pioneering in its class and delivering the BMW typical driving pleasure,”

Michael Rath, Vice President Hydrogen Vehicles BMW Group

Hydrogen

While battery-electric vehicles dominate BMW’s electrification plans, the brand sees hydrogen as a key part too. Hydrogen acts as a flexible energy carrier and storage medium, enabling renewable energy to be integrated more effectively into power grids. It also offers an alternative for cases where battery-electric systems may not be the most suitable option.

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HyMoS

Beyond the vehicle itself, BMW is supporting the development of hydrogen infrastructure through its Hydrogen Mobility at Scale (HyMoS) initiative. Working with industry and institutional partners, the programme aims to expand refuelling networks in major metropolitan areas.

HyMoS pools demand from passenger cars, buses, and trucks to make refuelling stations economically viable. A pilot phase is already underway in Germany and France, with plans to expand to other markets once the groundwork is in place.

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