Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/730281
Nikola promises zero emissions from upcoming Nikola One truck Nikola Motor Company announced in early August that advanced inter- nal testing has shown the company's soon-to-be-revealed Nikola One com- mercial Class 8 truck achieves "100 percent zero emissions" when spec'd with a CNG-powered turbine. "Imagine what this could do for the air in every city in America," says company founder and CEO Trevor Milton. "We knew our emissions would be low, but to have the ability to achieve true zero emissions is revo- lutionary for the worldwide trucking industry." Just exactly how Nikola One – which hasn't yet been certified by the EPA – accomplishes its NOx-to-nothing status is unclear, although Milton cites "a specific zero emission refinement process of fuel and gutsy engineering and product execution." Milton adds would-be competitors who have recently announced battery- powered semi-trucks are restricted to a range of a few hundred miles and upwards of eight hours of charging between stops, while "Nikola has en- gineered the holy grail of the trucking industry," he says. "We are not aware of any zero emis- sion truck in the world that can haul 80,000 pounds more than 1,000 miles and do it without stopping. The Nikola One requires only 15 minutes of downtime before heading out for the next 1,000 miles." Nikola One's electric motors are powered by a liquid cooled lithium- ion battery pack, which is charged by an onboard turbine. The fuel agnostic turbine automatically charges the batteries when needed, eliminating the need to plug in the unit. • 8 www.bigrigowner.com O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 Cover Story