First technical details of the drive in the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT

"In the drive system of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT, the fuel cell system generates up to 125 kW (170 hp) of electrical energy, which is obtained from the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the air", says Jürgen Guldner, Head of the BMW Group Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects. This means that the vehicle only emits water vapor. The electric converter, which is located below the fuel cell, adapts its voltage level to that of the electric drive and the power buffer battery. This is fed by the braking energy and the energy of the fuel cell. The vehicle itself houses two 700 bar tanks that together hold six kilograms of hydrogen. Guldner: “This guarantees great ranges in all weather conditions. The refueling process only takes three to four minutes ". The fifth generation of the electric drive, which will be used for the first time in the BMW iX3, is also fully integrated in the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT. The power buffer battery, which is positioned above the electric motor, can provide additional dynamics when overtaking or accelerating, for example. The system output is a total of 275 kW (374 hp) and ensures typical BMW driving dynamics. Equipped with this hydrogen fuel cell electric drive, the BMW Group will present a small series in 2022 based on the current BMW X5. In the second half of this decade at the earliest, and depending on market requirements and framework conditions, the BMW Group will then launch a customer offering with hydrogen fuel cell technology