Hit The Gas

Are electric cars really the future of motoring, or could hydrogen fuel be the answer? BMW is among those considering this natural gas

WORDS: CHRIS ANDERSON

It’s not difficult to get your hands on an electric car these days. The major manufacturers all offer them, with plans to make their entire fleets electric in the near future. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is key, with BMW among those eyeing hydrogen fuel as another alternative, in addition to electric, something it was recently promoting in the Middle East.

This region is the perfect setting. Realising that oil and gas may no longer be able to support their economies within the next decade or so, as our reliance on fossil fuels decreases, countries such as the UAE are looking to green energy instead, with hydrogen generation one of the possibilities. In 2021, France’s Engie and the Abu Dhabi-based Masdar announced a $5 billion investment for the UAE’s hydrogen industry, while Dubai launched the region’s first major hydrogen plant. The hope is that the UAE will achieve a 25 per cent share of the global low-carbon hydrogen market by 2030, which makes it understandable why BMW was keen to show its iX5 Hydrogen here. There are advantages over electric when it comes to hydrogen. Electric cars are relatively simple by comparison, taking mains electricity, storing it in a battery as chemical energy, then converting it back into electricity to drive the wheels. With hydrogen cars, this natural gas is pumped into the car’s tank and stored at very high pressure, as being far less energy dense that petrol, it needs to be compressed to carry the appropriate amounts — in the case of the iX5 Hydrogen, it stores the gas in two carbonfibre reinforced plastic tanks at 700 bar.

The hydrogen is released into a fuel cell, where the molecules become protons and electrons — the protons then become water, which is the only emission produced, used here by BMW to warm the car’s interior, while the electrons power the car, running it on electricity, but having acquired it in a different way. Hydrogen cars can be filled in minutes, just like a regular petrol car, while electric cars take much longer.

With plans to ship around 100 of the iX5 Hydrogen SUVs globally, BMW hopes to stir interest in the potential for hydrogen cars by sending five to the Middle East. “Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play in the energy transition process, and therefore in climate protection,” says

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse. “After all, it’s one of the most efficient ways of storing and transporting renewable energies, and we should use this potential to 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.”

To look at, the iX5 Hydrogen is similar to a petrol X5. It was first unveiled as a concept in 2019, with an efficient nextgeneration fuel-cell system, generating a high continuous output of 125kW/170hp, as its centrepiece. In combination with a highly-integrated drive unit, using fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology, the powertrain channels a maximum output of 295kW/401hp onto the road. A 0-100km/h time of less than six seconds is promised, with a top speed of 185km/h, plus a range of 504km.

It has some neat styling touches too, such as the BMW kidney grille, the inserts in the 22-inch aerodynamic wheels, and the attachments in the outer portion of the rear apron all in BMW i Blue. Mesh inserts cover the cooling air openings at the front, and in keeping with its environmental credentials, BMW says that it has become the first vehicle manufacturer worldwide to use Pirelli tyres made exclusively from certified natural rubber and the wood-based material rayon. Rapid refuelling seems to be the biggest selling point for BMW, but this has drawbacks in terms of where you can actually fill it up. Just 750 hydrogen refuelling stations were in operation globally last year, according to current figures. The technology compared to that of electric cars is deemed more expensive to produce as well, but any of these disadvantages might be addressed in the case of mass adoption — something the UAE sees a future in, and which BMW is keen to support.

As Dr Hamid Haqparwar, managing director at BMW Group Middle East, concludes, “BMW’s commitment to hydrogen aligns with our ambition to become the world’s most sustainable premium car manufacturer, and provider of individual mobility solutions. Our pilot fleet will complement the region’s energy initiatives ahead of COP28 [to be staged this year in Dubai, Nov 30-Dec 12] and is scheduled for hot-weather testing in the Middle East — an important prerequisite for the vehicle development process.”