Hydrogen truck to make a splash

The first hydrogen fuel cell-powered truck cab has been unveiled in the US.

The Nikola Motor Company’s Nikola One was revealed at the firm’s headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, last week, and comes with a 320kWh battery powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which will keep the battery topped up and give the truck a range of between 800 and 1,200 miles.

Power is fed to each of the chassis’s six wheels via individual electric motors.

The company says the truck will be introduced to US highways by 2018, with plans in place for a network of at least 350 refuelling stations and backing from one of the USA’s most prominent truck and van rental firms, Ryder, which will manage the leasing and distribution requirements for the truck.

It will come with rental rates of between $5,000 and $7,000 per month, with no upfront purchase cost, over a minimum term of 72 months (six years).

Nikola founder and CEO Trevor Milton said, ‘Our battery engineers have made major advances in storage and cooling. We believe our lithium battery packs are more energy dense and weigh less than any available vehicle production pack per kWh.’

The truck also has a range of sensors and cameras to provide a full 360 degree view around the cab at all times, eliminating blind spots all together.

‘Nikola will build a world-class advanced manufacturing facility which will create thousands of new jobs,’ continued Trevor Milton. He claims the factory will be able to build 50,000 trucks a year by 2020.’

 

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