JAKARTA - BMW Group launched its first hydrogen car pilot fleet with the BMW iX5 Hydrogen model at the end of February 2023.

BMW iX5 Hydrogen was developed based on the current BMW X5 and was first launched as a concept at the IAA event in 2019.

This car is equipped with advanced and environmentally friendly technology that uses hydrogen fuel to generate electricity. The launch of this pilot fleet aims to test and evaluate the performance of hydrogen cars on highways and to find out their potential use in the future.

BMW iX5 Hydrogen is claimed to have a distance of up to 500 km with one refueling, thus allowing the use of this car on a long-distance journey without worrying about running out of battery. The car also has relatively short charging time, taking only about 3-4 minutes to fully charge the hydrogen tank.

In its development of hydrogen technology, BMW Group is working with Toyota and has invested in hydrogen charging infrastructure. BMW hopes this technology can be a more environmentally friendly alternative to hydrogen battery electric cars and can play an important role in achieving future carbon neutrality goals.

"The launch of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet demonstrates our commitment to strengthening hydrogen technology as a promising alternative to our future propulsion system. We believe that hydrogen can play an important role in providing reliable and sustainable solutions to future mobility," said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the BMW AG Board of Directors, in a BMW Group release, February 27, 2023.