The EAH team was happy to welcome Jürgen Guldner back on the show to give us an update on BMW’s hydrogen mobility program, which is…wait for it - ahead of schedule!

In our first conversation, the focus was on the pilot fleet and after successful global testing, BMW has fast forwarded the road map. Instead of 2030, BMW will bring the iX5 Hydrogen into series production in 2028.

Jürgen explains why BMW must meet the demands of different customers and therefore offer battery electric as well as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. He also explains the roadblocks that must be overcome for both product lines including infrastructure, grid technology and fuel production partnerships.

About Jürgen Guldner:

Jürgen is currently the General Program Manager of Hydrogen Technology for the BMW Group. He has spent 15 years working in the Munich area on hydrogen programs for BMW Group, 4 years in the US primarily launching the Hybrid X6, and began his career at BMW almost thirty years ago in different divisions.

Jürgen holds an undergraduate degree from Technical University of Munich, a Masters in Science from Clemson University as part of the Fulbright Scholars program, as well as advanced degrees in electronics and robotics from University of Tokyo and Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt (DLR) / Technische Universität Munchen. His Post Doc is from the University of California, Berkeley.

About the BMW Group:

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is one of the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group comprises over 30 production sites worldwide and a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

BMW Group credits its success to long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a vital element of corporate strategy, from the supply chain through production to the end of use phase of all products.

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Links:

BMW Group - https://www.bmwgroup.com/en.html

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Reach Episode Hosts and Guests on LinkedIn:

@Jurgen Guldner

@Alicia Eastman

@Patrick Molloy

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Contact Episode Hosts via email:

Patrick@h2podcast.com

Alicia@h2podcast.com

This week the unholy trinity convened for the seasonal State of the Union discussion.

Co-Hosts Patrick Molloy, Chris Jackson, and Alicia Eastman analyze relevant global trends, macro impacts, and sector specific influences and consequences.

The team digs beneath the vibes, to take stock of where the industry stands today and contemplate future evolution.

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Recommendations from the show:

‘1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How it Shattered a Nation’ by journalist and author Andrew Sorkin

The Reith Lectures ‘How to Start a Moral Revolution’ - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-reith-lectures/id318705261?i=1000739258338

This week, the EAH team sat down with Aran Bates, Founder and CEO of Hydrologiq, to dive into the strategic deployment of hydrogen in the off-grid sector.

We explore how Hydrologiq is moving beyond just the hardware, discussing the critical role of software and systems thinking in scaling up clean fuel adoption. Aran provides fascinating insights into distributed decarbonisation and the future of resilient microgrids.

The conversation focuses on the synergy between Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and hydrogen, detailing the "hub-and-spoke" model that is revolutionizing how we power remote sites, temporary setups, and events—including a fun look at the hydrogen deployment at Boomtown Fair. Aran explains how their platform, Logiq, is the essential tool for managing multi-technology fleets and simplifying the hydrogen supply chain.

It was a truly valuable chat, underscoring that the transition to hydrogen is as much about Logiq's operational efficiency as it is about the fuel itself.

About Hydrologiq:

Hydrologia makes hydrogen the turnkey, scalable and immediate diesel replacement for off-road machinery - decarbonising a US$327 billion global diesel machinery market that produces 1.3 gigatons of CO2e every year.

They do this through Logiq - the platform that handles everything from supply chain integration to on-the-ground operations, making hydrogen an easy to adopt and scale decarbonisation choice.

Born out of a passion to reduce the greenhouse gas impact society is having on the planet, they are enabling the hydrogen value chain to change how we store, move and use energy off-grid.

About Aran Bates:

Aran’s experience sits at the intersection of technical development, business, and strategy gained over eight years of technology and innovation consulting, as well as start-up experience. Prior to Hydrologiq he spent two and a half years evaluating and studying the applicability of hydrogen on energy systems, now through the work being done at Hydrologiq, they are testing and proving that hydrogen is an answer.

Previously, Aran founded his own digital start-up, bootstrapping it into an operating business within a year; launched new ventures inside of existing multinational businesses (e.g. designed and lead all aspects of the physical product and manufacturing for Holland and Barret’s Healthbox offering, taking it from pure paper idea to live product in market MVP in three months); and advised many of the world’s largest corporates on innovation, including acting as the direct advisor and coach to the global Head of Innovation at Rolls Royce Aerospace.

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🔗 Company Links:

Hydrologiq - https://www.hydrologiq.com/

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🔗 Links Mentioned in the episode:

Boomtown Fair Hydrogen Project: See how hydrogen made its debut at the iconic festival, showcasing real-world off-grid application - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/boomtownfair_boomtown-banggoesnormal-visitboomtown-activity-7369673059982647297-7UIa?utm_source=social_share_video_v2&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAAAgR9EQBRpLRHd9VpL2HnwaYihOdPVZ7_2s&utm_campaign=copy_link

‘Hydrogen, BESS, and Microgrids’ Aran's in-depth article on the "hub-and-spoke" model for off-grid power - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/revolutionizing-off-grid-power-hydrogen-hub-and-spoke-aran-bates-ykvve?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&utm_campaign=share_via

Logiq, discover the platform designed for modern clean fuel and asset management - https://www.hydrologiq.com/