BMW is moving the iX5 Hydrogen closer to series production, with current prototypes undergoing real-world validation ahead of a planned 2028 launch. The fuel-cell SUV is targeting a 0-to-62-mph time of roughly five seconds, putting it in the same performance bracket as the upcoming battery-electric iX5.

The iX5 Hydrogen will become BMW’s first series-production hydrogen model. It is based on the next G65-generation X5 platform, which will also support gasoline, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains.

Fuel-cell power and range

Power comes from a third-generation fuel-cell system developed with Toyota, continuing a partnership that stretches back more than a decade. BMW says the new system is 25 percent smaller than its predecessor while maintaining its output, creating additional packaging flexibility inside the SUV.

A new flat, high-pressure tank system mounted beneath the floor can store up to 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds) of hydrogen. BMW quotes a maximum WLTP range of 750 kilometers (466 miles) on a full fill. Refueling is expected to take less than five minutes, giving the hydrogen SUV a stop time closer to a gasoline vehicle than to a typical battery-electric fast-charge session.

The production model will include xDrive all-wheel drive and the M Sport Package as standard equipment. BMW has not offered that combination on every version of the electric iX5, positioning the hydrogen variant as a performance-focused member of the future X5 lineup.

Testing the 2028 hydrogen SUV

BMW is testing the iX5 Hydrogen at its Aschheim facility near Munich and at the Miramas proving ground in southern France. The validation program covers extreme temperatures and high-altitude driving, with engineers checking how the fuel-cell system performs in conditions customers could encounter in everyday use.

Production preparation is advancing alongside the testing program. BMW’s Hydrogen Competence Centre in Munich has begun another assembly phase for the third-generation fuel-cell system, while pre-series production of the Energy Master power electronics unit is underway at Plant Landshut.

Plant Steyr in Austria has installed initial test benches and production equipment, and BMW says employee training for future series production has already started. The new X5 family, including the battery-electric iX5, is scheduled to enter production at Plant Spartanburg in December 2026.

Hydrogen infrastructure remains the challenge

BMW’s hardware targets address two major hydrogen selling points: long-distance range and rapid refueling. The remaining uncertainty is the size of the refueling network when the iX5 Hydrogen arrives in 2028.

Hydrogen stations in the US and Europe remain concentrated in a limited number of regional clusters. The SUV’s usefulness for private buyers and fleets will therefore depend on how quickly that network expands before launch.