New-gen BMW X5 to include hydrogen-powered version

22nd September 2025

BMW has confirmed that the new X5 will include a hydrogen-powered version from 2028 as the brand commits to advancing the technology.

Marking a first for the carmaker, the incoming X5 will include five drivetrain variants – battery electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol, diesel and hydrogen fuel cell technology. While the mainstream models will arrive from 2026, the hydrogen is due in 2028 and will be called the iX5 Hydrogen.

It will enter the market as the brand’s first-ever series-produced hydrogen-powered model and follows successful testing of a pilot fleet worldwide. This includes in the UK, where fleets have put the future-friendly model to the test.

Tech details for the iX5 Hydrogen are under wraps for now but the drive technology is based on the third-generation fuel cell system that the BMW Group is developing in collaboration with the Toyota Motor Corporation, as announced a year ago.

It’s expected to offer more power and efficiency than the 2023 prototypes tested by Fleet World, which feature a fuel cell stack with 170hp that works with a 231hp lithium-ion battery pack to offer a total of 401hp and a theoretical driving range of 313 miles (WLTP).

Michael Rath, vice president hydrogen vehicles at BMW Group, said: “The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen will be a true BMW – pioneering in its class and delivering the BMW typical driving pleasure.”

BMW said its decision to offer a choice of five drive system variants demonstrated its leading position as a technology pioneer.

Joachim Post, board member for development, said: “Hydrogen has an essential part to play in global decarbonisation, which is why we are committed to driving the technology forward.”

The Bavarian brand also said its “technology-open approach” was a strategic success factor.

BMW has previously said there is a role for a fuel-cell powered future alongside battery-electric vehicles for future net zero mobility.

Its viewpoint is that hydrogen “is the missing piece for completing the electric mobility puzzle where battery electric drive systems are not an optimal solution”.

Hydrogen also acts as “an effective storage medium for renewable energy sources”, helping to balance supply and demand and “enabling a more stable and reliable integration of renewables into the energy grid”.

And other key factors in hydrogen’s favour include use of more common materials for fuel cells compared to EV technology, along with everyday practicality and long-distance capabilities.

While infrastructure is seen as the main obstacle to a widespread hydrogen vehicle rollout, BMW is taking care of this too and is actively involved in efforts to expand the refuelling network,

The HyMoS (Hydrogen Mobility at Scale) initiative is designed to promote the development of hydrogen ecosystems and refuelling stations in metropolitan areas. The initiative seeks to increase the economic viability of hydrogen mobility ecosystems by pooling the demand for all types of vehicles, including trucks, buses and passenger cars. A pilot phase is underway to support of existing ecosystems in Germany and France to gather experiences for deployment to further metropolitan areas and a potential later expansion to other countries.