BMW has brought a ‘pilot fleet’ of iX5 Hydrogen SUVs to the UK, marking the next critical phase of its global trials.

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It’s deployed a fleet of just under 100 vehicles, which are being tested internationally for demonstration and trial purposes for various target groups.

The technology demonstrators will deliver valuable knowledge to pave the way for potential series production, but will also give people a chance to find out more about hydrogen and its benefits as a fuel.

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

“Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play in the energy transition process and therefore in climate protection. After all, it is one of the most efficient ways of storing and transporting renewable energies,” said CEO Oliver Zipse.

“We should use this potential to also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector. Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility. One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide.”

The carmaker announced it was launching an iX5 Hydrogen test fleet earlier this year. First unveiled as a concept at the IAA show in 2019, the fuel cell electric car (FCEV) went into small-scale production at its Munich Research and Innovation Centre. It’s built on the standard X5, supplied by BMW’s Plant Spartanburg in the USA, and adapted with two hydrogen tanks, electrical systems, battery, electric motor, plus fuel cells from Toyota under the carmakers’ alliance. These generate 170hp while total output for the powertrain is 401hp on the road.

The two 700-bar tanks are able to store almost 6kg of hydrogen, enough to give a range of 504km (313 miles) on the WLTP cycle. Long range is just one benefit of the FCEV technology though compared to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the iX5 Hydrogen is also able to refuel quickly – taking just three to four minutes.

It’s also able to accelerate from 0-100km/h in under six seconds and has a top speed of more than 180km/h (112mph).

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), hydrogen offers considerable potential as a future energy source in connection with global energy transition activities. Thanks to its storage and transport capabilities, hydrogen can be used for a wide variety of applications.

BMW Group says that “with the right conditions”, hydrogen fuel cell technology could become a further pillar in its drivetrain portfolio for local CO2-free mobility.

However, this is dependent on two things: competitive production of sufficient quantities of hydrogen from green power, as well as expansion of the fuelling infrastructure. Efforts on the latter are particularly underway in Germany and the European Union.

In the UK, hydrogen filling stations are much rarer, although refuelling business Element 2 is working to address this. It’s planning to operate a UK-wide network of hydrogen refuelling stations from Land’s End to John o’ Groats by 2027 and has recently announced a series of partnership, including a tie-up with commercial real-estate firm Tower Group to provide access to hydrogen for road transport in the south west of England.

Earlier this month, Element 2 also formed a strategic partnership with fuel card provider Radius and its UK Fuels network to accelerate access to hydrogen across the UK.

At the moment though, the BMW Group has said it views FCEV technology expressly as a potential addition to the drive technology used by battery-electric vehicles.

Fully electric vehicles accounted for just under 9% of its total sales volumes last year, and this share is set to increase to 15% in 2023.

By 2030 at the latest, the group is looking to have fully electric vehicles account for more than 50% of its overall sales.