BMW is launching a new model X5, including its first hydrogen-powered engine option.

The vehicle will be built at BMW Plant Spartanburg, the global home of BMW’s X-series. Customers purchasing an X5 beginning with the 2027 model year can choose between five engine options: diesel, gasoline (including a 617-horsepower M variant), hybrid, electric (iX5) and a hydrogen-powered model (iX5 Hydrogen).

The iX5 Hydrogen is BMW’s first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle for mass production, though a release date has not been set for this option. It has a projected range of 466 miles per tank.

The all-electric iX5 has the largest battery pack offered in a personal passenger vehicle and can fully charge in 30 minutes. BMW recently invested $1.7 billion in electric vehicle manufacturing in the Upstate, including building a new battery assembly facility in Woodruff.

The new X5 models also include BMW’s latest drivetrain technology, which featured in the manufacturer’s 24 Hours of Le Mans entry this year.

BMW Plant Spartanburg unveiled its new X5 models during an event on June 30. Photo by Savannah Pack.

The company has also incorporated artificial intelligence scanning into its quality checks. AI is already conducting 1.9 million inspections for BMW every day. Plant Spartanburg has 63 inspection stations, with more than 70 additional scans for the X5.

“AI helps our team stay one step ahead, and our associates, the clarity and the confidence to make the right decisions every time,” said Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, during an announcement of the new X5 on June 30. “But what makes me most proud is this here: technology has not replaced people.”

An X-shaped sculpture was unveiled outside BMW’s Zentrum, a visitor and event center, during the event. It is meant to represent BMW Plant Spartanburg’s role as the global home of BMW X-model sports utility vehicles and the company’s commitment to partnering with the U.S. and South Carolina. Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham both attended the announcement and unveiling.

Plant Spartanburg is the largest BMW plant worldwide, with about 11,000 employees. It exports more than half its vehicles to more than 120 countries. It has been the largest automotive exporter by value in the U.S. for more than a decade. In 2025, it exported nearly 200,000 vehicles with a value of roughly $9 billion.

BMW Plant Spartanburg is located near the interchange of Interstate 85 and S.C. Highway 101, near Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.