German car maker BMW has revealed that its upcoming hydrogen fuel-cell SUV will achieve a range of up to 750km following a five-minute refuelling.
This range is achieved with what BMW refers to as a ‘hydrogen flat storage system’. This comprises seven carbon-fibre reinforced composite chambers housed within a single enclosed metal frame. Instead of individual pressure vessels, these 700-bar high-pressure chambers form an enclosed unit controlled by a central main valve.
With a total of 7kg of hydrogen stored across the chambers, it takes less than five minutes to refuel the system from empty.
The system will be integrated into the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, the brand’s first hydrogen-powered model. BMW announced last year that the new BMW X5 – a mid-size premium SUV – will have five different drivetrain variants: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell.
To fit in the X5 platform without taking up cabin or boot space, the hydrogen flat storage system has to be as compact...