Nikola Corporation has 100 orders in hand for its Class 8 Nikola Tre hydrogen cell-fueled electric heavy-duty trucks (FCEVs), which are to be built at its massive factory on the edge of Coolidge.
The zero tailpipe-emission trucks are powered by a fuel cell stack that converts hydrogen to electricity by combining it with oxygen. They are projected to have a range of 500 miles after each 20-minute charge, making it one of the longest-range commercially available trucks of its kind.
The sales orders are expected to convert into purchase orders after satisfactory completion of the demonstration process, with deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, the company said.
“We believe Nikola is the only company in the U.S. with a Class 8 hydrogen FCEV available in calendar year 2023, engineered and assembled in the U.S., as well as a variety of upcoming hydrogen energy solutions,” said Michael Lohscheller, Nikola’s president and CEO.
“Customers are recognizing this and are demanding zero-emissions trucking solutions to fulfill their shipping needs and to meet their environmental, social and governance goals. And it will have quite an effect, as one heavy-duty zero-emission truck equates to removing 23 gasoline-powered passenger cars from the road in annual CO2 emissions.”
Nikola said the trucks will be suitable for many uses, from short hauls to metro and regional over-the-road transportation, including smaller cargo loads and specialized jobs.
Playing a key role for many of the orders is a California state program that offers point-of-sale incentives of between $240,000 and $288,000 for qualifying vehicles. Buyers can also get a $40,000 tax credit through a federal program approved as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Nikola announced the breakthrough at the March 29 Automotive Press Association meeting in Detroit. “This 100 sale order milestone is certainly something to celebrate and shows the commitment of our customers, dealers, employees and stakeholders,” Lohscheller said. “And this is expected to be the first of many upcoming announcements.”
Other recent announcements from the Phoenix-based company include:
- Transitioning battery manufacturing for its electric fuel cell vehicles from California to the Coolidge plant is was completed in April, months ahead of the original schedule.
- Former Vice President, Corporate Controller Anastasiya “Stasy” Pasterick taking over as CFO in April following the retirement of Kim J. Brady.
- An agreement with Vancouver-based Klean Industries Inc., which focuses on recovery of clean energy and resources from waste, to encourage the conversion of its suppliers’ truck fleets to Nikola Tre FCEVs while Nikola looks for ways to use Klean’s wind, hydroelectric and solar power resources.
