As one of the pioneering figures in the field of electric mobility, the BMW Group is equipping itself for the myriad requirements of future mobility, as illustrated by the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT fuel cell development vehicle awaiting visitors at the IAA Cars 2019 show. The BMW Group is working on the assumption that, in future, various alternative types of drive system will exist alongside one another, as there is no single solution that covers the complete spectrum of customers’ mobility needs worldwide. Hydrogen vehicles represent an important alternative and addition to battery-electric drive systems. This rich diversity of electrified drive technologies – of which plug-in hybrids are another example – underlines the BMW Group’s commitment to achieving zero-emission mobility as part of a well thought-out strategy.
In 2022, the BMW Group is planning to present the next generation of hydrogen fuel cell electric drive systems in a small-series vehicle based on the current BMW X5. The BMW i Hydrogen NEXT provides an initial glimpse of what this model has in store. The BMW Group would start offering fuel cell vehicles for customers in 2025 at the earliest, but the timing very much depends on market requirements and overall conditions.
Design of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT
The BMW i Hydrogen NEXT demonstrates that this technology can be integrated effectively into a dynamic vehicle like the BMW X5. Slight modifications to the vehicle’s design make it deliberately recognisable as a BMW i model. BMW i espouses innovation and acts as an incubator for all new technologies at the BMW Group.
At the front end, the modifications are most clearly visible in the distinctive BMW i Blue patterning on the bonnet. This patterning reappears in three-dimensional form in the air intakes. The pattern’s shape and colour form a dynamic flow across the front end and flanks of the Mineral White body. The detailing on the light-alloy wheels provides further confirmation of the model’s BMW i genes.
The development vehicle’s innovative nature shines through at the rear, too, thanks to the BMW i Blue diffuser elements. Their blanked off design without exhaust tailpipes clearly highlights that the car’s drive system produces zero local emissions.
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SOURCE: BMW Group
