New Delhi: BMW have given a little more details about the upcoming iX5 Hydrogen, confirming that the fuel-cell SUV will manage 618 km of range between fill-ups. This is owed to the quite titled literally ‘BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage System’, which is being said to be both “new and innovative” with seven carbon-fibre reinforced composite high-pressure tanks which are all connected in parallel and integrated into a metal frame.
BMW have said, “What makes the design special is that, instead of individual pressure vessels, there are several chambers connected to form an enclosed unit. This unit is controlled by a central main valve. In this way, the optimised storage concept enables the BMW iX5 Hydrogen to achieve a greater range.”
What we know about the Hydrogen system from BMW
The system has also been designed to take up as little space as could be made in order to preserve cabin space, and that apparently means the iX5 Hydrogen can be made on the same production line, like an ICE, electric or hybrid versions. Chief designer Dr Joachim Post said, “Think of it as installation Tetris: every customer gets the drive system best suited to their needs and a true BMW X5 with no compromises.” He further said that this openness regarding technology and engineering is what developers are fond of.
BMW has been partnering with Toyota on hydrogen propulsion for a while and has claimed to have filed a few patent applications for its new system, which can store seven kilograms of hydrogen and can be refilled from empty in less than five minutes.