Electric Big Rig Startup Now Says Its Trucks Will Run on Hydrogen
Trucking startup Nikola Motor got a lot of attention a few months ago when it announced its plan to build a 2000-horsepower turbine-electric hybrid big rig. Its next big announcement was a little confusing, though, because Nikola claimed its trucks will also be emissions-free despite the turbine running on natural gas. Today, the company clarified that claim, saying its trucks will actually run on hydrogen.
On its website, Nikola claims it had to keep the switch to hydrogen secret until it could finalize a deal with a supplier. But with that taken care of, it can now announce that the Nikola One will now use an 800V hydrogen-electric fuel cell. That will allow it to achieve a claimed 20 mpg and a 1200-mile range, while also making more power than diesel alternatives. Oh, and the hydrogen fuel cell is the part that will be emissions-free.
"Nikola will produce hydrogen via zero emission solar farms built by Nikola Motor Company. These solar farms will produce over 100 megawatts each and will use electrolysis to create hydrogen from water," the company's CEO Travis Milton said in the release. "Even our manufacturing facilities will be run off of zero emission hydrogen energy."
And despite changing course on the truck's powertrain, the company also claims the Nikola One is still on track for its big December 1st reveal.
Considering how farfetched the company's claims are, we're hoping to actually see something substantial if that ever happens. Because right now, the odds of it being all talk seem pretty high.
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