The annual Climate Week conference was back in New York City last week. BMW brought together media, partners, and stakeholders at Moonlight Studios for the second year in a row in Manhattan. The Bavarians wanted to showcase its progress in hydrogen technology, alongside their sustainability efforts. Of course, the hydrogen topic was the highlight of the event with the Munich-based automaker reintroducing to the NYC scene their current iX5 Hydrogen while outlining their plans for a first series-production fuel cell vehicle set for 2028.
Key discussions were led by Dr. Juergen Guldner, BMW Group’s General Project Manager for Hydrogen Technology, Dr. Lewis Fulton, Director of the Energy Futures Program at UC Davis, and hydrogen expert Dr. Jason Munster, founder of CleanEpic, as they explored the potential of fuel cell electric vehicles and the future of clean energy.
But firstly, the event featured startups from the MINI brand’s New York-based Urban-X tech incubator. Entrepreneurs presented their ideas aimed at transforming urban life and discussing how their technologies could address pressing environmental challenges. Let’s take a moment to highlight their work:
It’s Electric: Curbside EV Charging
It’s Electric, a New York-based company discussed curbside EV charging. Unlike traditional chargers that require extensive permitting with utilities, a process that can take 18 months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, It’s Electric bypasses this barrier by tapping into spare electrical capacity in buildings. The company lays shallow conduits under sidewalks to install chargers, drastically reducing installation costs and deployment times.
The system is also designed to be robust, offering features such as detachable cables, which reduce the risk of damage and downtime often seen in other chargers. Already deployed in several cities, It’s Electric is expanding rapidly, making charging infrastructure more accessible, especially in neighborhoods where ride-share drivers operate.
Vycarb: Carbon Capture through Sustainable Minerals
Vycarb is focused on carbon capture and storage technology, allowing CO2 to be converted into bicarbonate dissolved in water, a permanent form of carbon storage. Their system is piloted in various locations across New York City and can measure and prove CO2 removal in real-time, addressing one of the significant challenges of the carbon offset market. Vycarb is scaling up to remove gigatons of CO2 annually. The company has a demonstration project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it’s already removing carbon dioxide from local waters, contributing to a carbon-negative future.
Dollaride: Electrifying Transit Deserts
Dollaride is working to electrify New York City’s existing network of privately owned shuttle buses, known as “dollar vans.” These vans, which operate in transit deserts, are a vital mode of transportation for millions of New Yorkers but contribute significantly to the city’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Dollaride’s Clean Transit Access Program helps dollar van owners transition to electric vehicles, combining public and private funding to cover the high upfront costs. This initiative not only reduces emissions but also creates job opportunities in the green economy, as local residents are trained to maintain the new EV infrastructure.
Virtus Solis: Solar Power from Space
Virtus Solis presented an ambitious solution to energy sustainability: space-based solar power. The company aims to place solar panels on satellite arrays, harvesting renewable energy continuously from space. This energy would then be transmitted to Earth using microwaves, offering a scalable, cost-effective source of clean energy that circumvents challenges faced by traditional solar power systems on Earth, such as weather conditions and nighttime downtime.
Solis outlined how their modular system, which uses automotive assembly robots to construct the solar arrays in space, drastically reduces costs. By 2030, they plan to deploy their first full-scale system, projected to deliver energy at highly competitive rates — as low as $30 per megawatt hour by the time they scale to gigawatts of production.
Lectrium: Enhancing EV Sales at Dealerships
Lectrium is leading the charge to simplify and accelerate electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. His company focuses on equipping dealerships with the tools and knowledge needed to sell EVs more effectively, addressing key consumer concerns such as affordability, range anxiety, and charging infrastructure. Lectrium provides dealerships with innovative tools like EV savings badges, range maps, and charging pages that showcase tax incentives, fuel savings, and charging details.
BMW-Hosted Hydrogen Panel
Dr. Juergen Guldner, Dr. Lewis Fulton and Dr. Jason Munster talked at length about the challenges of hydrogen: high costs, infrastructure requirements, and regulatory hurdles. And most importantly, they talked about the role of fuel-cell vehicles in the context of battery electric cars. The main point: fuel cell electric vehicles are not here to replace battery electric vehicles. Instead, FCEVs aim to complement BEVs by offering solutions for areas where EVs may face limitations.
One of the biggest hurdles is the strain EVs place on the power grid. Fast-charging stations require significant upgrades to the electrical grid, which is already nearing capacity in many urban areas. Adding more EVs will demand substantial investments in substations, power lines, and generation capacity, making scaling difficult in some regions.
Hydrogen, on the other hand, bypasses these grid limitations. Its refueling infrastructure is less space-intensive than EV fast chargers, making it ideal for densely populated cities where real estate is at a premium. Hydrogen stations also don’t rely on the same kind of grid capacity, offering flexibility for cities like New York and San Diego, where expanding the electrical grid is a long and costly process.
According to the three experts, one of the less-discussed issues with EVs is their inaccessibility to lower-income households. For many, EVs are simply not feasible, especially for those without access to home charging. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) work best when owners can charge at home, but only 40% of Americans have garages where they can do this. For middle- and lower-income families, especially those in urban areas or with only one car, hydrogen vehicles offer an alternative. Unlike EVs, hydrogen cars can be refueled quickly at centralized stations, similar to traditional gas stations.
But at the same time, the biggest obstacle for hydrogen adoption is the infrastructure. Or the lack of it.
The Current Landscape: Hydrogen’s Role in Clean Energy
According to the panelists, hydrogen is gaining traction as part of a comprehensive strategy to decarbonize transportation and other energy-intensive sectors. The U.S. government has invested heavily in this future, committing $8 billion in federal funds to hydrogen hubs—regional networks aimed at advancing hydrogen production and distribution. These hubs are expected to play a key role in creating the infrastructure needed to support hydrogen-powered vehicles across the country. The hubs will initially support heavy-duty vehicles but eventually expanding to light-duty ones.
According to experts involved in shaping the U.S. hydrogen strategy, hydrogen infrastructure, though expensive today, will become significantly more affordable as supply chains mature and competition increases. For now, hydrogen remains a costly fuel source, but as the sector grows, the cost curve is expected to fall, making hydrogen a competitive alternative to EVs. Currently, 1 kilogram of hydrogen costs over $15.
BMW’s Hydrogen Future
Automakers like BMW have recognized the potential of fuel-cell electric vehicles so they are already preparing for a hydrogen-powered future. BMW, in partnership with Toyota, plans to introduce hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2028, but in the meantime, the iX5 pilot fleet has already logged over a million kilometers globally. According to Dr. Juergen Guldner, BMW Group’s General Project Manager for Hydrogen Technology, the company is confident that hydrogen vehicles will offer the best of both worlds: the efficiency and zero emissions of electric vehicles combined with the convenience and quick refueling of traditional gas cars.
In the end, all the speakers agreed on one thing: the need for a balanced approach that includes hydrogen, EVs, and other sustainable energy technologies in the broader goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Intersection of Youth, Weather, Food, Fashion and Cars
The final panel of the day brought together a diverse group of experts to explore the critical role of cross-industry collaboration in addressing climate change. Moderated by NBC Weatherman and News Anchor, Al Roker, the panel featured key voices from different fields, underscoring the need for a multidisciplinary approach to sustainability.
BMW’s Dr. Juergen Guldner was once again on stage bringing the automotive industry perspective. Joining him was Daniel Humm, the renowned chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park, a plant-based fine dining restaurant in New York.
Humm’s presence emphasizes how the culinary world can contribute to sustainability, particularly by shifting towards plant-based menus. His decision to transform one of the world’s top restaurants into a plant-based establishment highlights how even industries traditionally associated with luxury and consumption can make significant strides in reducing their environmental footprint.
Also on the panel was Levi’s Senior Director of Sustainability, Jennifer DuBuisson, who discussed how the fashion industry—known for its substantial environmental impact—can adopt sustainable practices, starting with the sourcing of materials to supply chain and reduction of fast fashion.
Lastly, climate activist Sophia Kianni brought the youth perspective, emphasizing the urgency of climate action. As a member of Generation Z, Kianni has been a vocal advocate for environmental justice and intergenerational collaboration in fighting climate change.
Sustainability is no longer just a popular topic in the auto industry; many carmakers are making big efforts to build a more eco-friendly future, including BMW. Whether it’s to meet new regulations, reduce their impact on the environment, or keep up with what customers want, the push for greener practices is changing how cars are designed and built.