Air to Engine: Witness the Future of Fuel at SXSW 2025

Angie Vasquez
SXSX 2025 - SJMC Student Media Coverage

Imagine if every breath you took fueled your car. That’s the goal of Eric Dahlgren, the CEO of Aircela, who will present at SXSW 2025 to unveil technology capable of transforming CO₂ from the air into fossil-free fuels.

"We're making a drop of gasoline that is made from air, which can be found everywhere, from water, which can be found everywhere, and from renewable energy, which can also be found practically anywhere,” Dahlgren said.

Aircela differs from most other sustainability campaigns since it focuses on practical, immediate actions that people can take - rather than large-scale changes or government solutions.

“We want to make a solution that is fit for the individual and then build up, as opposed to the more traditional way of coming up with something big, top down, and then forcing it on the people,” Dahlgren said.

Dahlgren explained that, while progress can sometimes be slower than desired, developing scalable systems at an affordable cost allows for broader market reach over time. He emphasized that small-scale production offers operational and commercial advantages, making it easier to implement while still maintaining the same engineering integrity as larger-scale solutions.

SXSW as a Platform for Change

Although Dahlgren has experience speaking on panels, this is his first time attending SXSW. The idea to attend came from the company’s co-founder, Mia Dahlgren, who sat in to listen to some speakers in the SXSW Energy track while she was in Austin and loved it. She noticed that the topics were not only relevant but also attracted a wide variety of people.

“That made us realize that South by Southwest is a perfect intersection of both industry- specific knowledge and a generally interested population writ large,” Dahlgren said. “We think our message will resonate there.”

Spreading the message is vital, given that climate change is one of the hardest challenges to tackle—not just because of the problem itself, but because of the industry inertia and skepticism from the public.

“Sometimes you sense among people that there's a degree of cynicism,” Dahlgren said. “People would rather chew through barbed wire than talk about climate solutions because there's been so much talk for the past 20 years. People are trying, but it's a hard problem.”

Dahlgren emphasized the importance of individual action in addressing climate change. He noted that long-term government solutions often lead to disengagement, as people lose excitement and focus. SXSW grants Aircela the chance to fight that fatigue head-on.

"What we're trying to do is entice the individual, to empower them and bring them agency,” Dahlgren said. “We want to make a solution where you can actually resolve your own carbon footprint in a highly meaningful way.”

A Scientific Foundation for the Future

Dahlgren will be presenting alongside Klaus Lackner, a professor at Arizona State University (and Dahlgren’s professor when he attended Columbia University). Lackner is also the inventor of direct air capture, a technology that removes CO₂ from the air. Once a niche concept, direct air capture is now globally recognized as a necessary tool for reducing emissions, according to Dahlgren. Beyond showcasing new innovations, Dahlgren wants to highlight the rigorous scientific foundation behind Aircela’s work.

“We hope to bring a positive message about future solutions that impact you specifically,” Dahlgren said. “It actually bears a deep, deep, scientific underpinning to what we do and why we believe that we will succeed in this.”

Dahlgren is eager to engage with attendees, answer questions about Aircela’s technology and discuss sustainability as a whole. With Lackner to provide scientific backing, Dahlgren also hopes to clear up some misconceptions around energy and foster a deeper understanding of sustainable fuel solutions and their real-world impact.

“I'm hoping there will be an interactive session,” Dahlgren said. “That's what we're gearing up for.”

Learn More

Join Dahlgren and Lackner in conversation at their session “From Air to Engine: Witness the Future of Fuel.” The presentation is scheduled to take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, in Salon A of the Hilton Austin Downtown.