Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/845079
July 2017 | Overdrive | 33 Nikola introduced its hydrogen-elec- tric-powered Nikola One in December. The company promises 1,000 hp and 2,000 lb.-ft. of torque – specs exceeding the beefiest engines available from die- sel manufacturers. Two electric motors on each side power the drive wheels. "With four electric motors, you get a unique 6x4 experience with full torque nearly all of the time," says the com- pany's website. "This means you do not have to hit a certain rpm to optimize torque. You should have full torque available at all speeds." Nikola also touts a range of 600 to 1,000 miles on a single fueling. It expects to deliver its first trucks in 2020. The company projects a full-service lease costing between $5,000 and $7,000 a month. Those figures include fuel, which will be free to buyers at Nikola-built fueling stations. It also includes, as a measure of assurance to its customers, maintenance and war- ranty service by Ryder, which has a net- work of 800 maintenance facilities. Nikola also has contracted with Fitzgerald Glider Kits to build the first 5,000 Ones. U.S. Xpress, one of the country's largest and most technologi- cally ambitious carriers, has committed to leasing some of the first units. "This is a real truck," said Trevor Milton, Nikola founder and chief exec- utive officer, upon introducing the rig last year. "My goal is to literally revolu- tionize the trucking industry." The One stores 80 kilograms of compressed hydrogen. It's transmitted into a fuel cell, which "is a bunch of membranes that have different materi- als in them," says Milton. That includes precious materials, such as platinum, and nonprecious materials. "When hydrogen passes over them, it creates electricity," he says. "We're creating about 800 volts of electricity that is captured and then sent to a central bus bar," which distributes the power, he says. "Excess energy goes to the motors, rotors, HVAC, inverters. The energy that does not go into the battery goes into the powertrain." The energy also charges a spare bat- tery that can power the rig if the main system fails. The truck also includes a standard vehicle plug-in port, so the spare battery can be rejuiced at charg- ing stations if needed. Hydrogen is safer than diesel, Milton says. If a tank is punctured in a crash, the gas leaks into the air and dissipates. Milton says fueling will take only 15 minutes and require "no credit card swiping or any of that." Fueling sta- tions will recognize the truck via RFID, so drivers simply will hook up to a hydrogen-dispensing nozzle. Nikola has plans for more than 350 fueling stations nationwide, rolling them out in eight-station networks over 10 years. Every time it announces plans for a new network, it will accept orders for 4,000 trucks to run in that network. With more than 8,000 orders placed for the One, no new orders will be accepted until next year, though Milton expects the number to climb to 30,000 by the end of 2018. About 20 percent of current orders (1,600 trucks) are from owner-operators, he says. To reserve a truck, lessees had to pay a $1,500 deposit, though it's refundable should they change their mind. Ryder is working with Nikola as the primary "service and warranty partner" for the Nikola One, says Scott Perry, Ryder's chief technology and procure- ment officer. "If you buy a vehicle from Nikola, not only is the hydrogen fuel supply included, but the scheduled maintenance is included as well." Ryder's national service network for its vehicle-lease customers, primarily small private fleets, would be there for planned maintenance, Perry says. "For any unplanned maintenance, a warran- ty item would be executed by Ryder." The company also will serve as Nikola's "sales and distribution channel," Perry says. Fleet interest in the One has been not solely in full-service leasing but also in ownership. Deals will be struck with Nikola, but Ryder will help facilitate delivery. For Ryder, "this is not going to be formal showrooms," he says. "We'd be leveraging the Ryder network to deliver" the vehicles to customers. Perry notes that while the challenge associated with training to support any new technology on the maintenance side is considerable, Ryder has made good inroads with its 6,000 technicians "trained on all sorts of platforms." Tesla boss Elon Musk promises a "spry" Class 8 electric tractor that can meet the demands of heavy-duty trucking. The company says it will unveil the rig in September.