Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/730311
Class 8 Feature plans to release an electric Class 8 truck — targeted at owner-operators — in the coming years. Nikola promises zero emissions from upcoming Nikola One truck Nikola Motor Company announced in early August that advanced internal testing has shown the company's soon- to-be-revealed Nikola One commercial 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 com- pany founder and CEO Trevor Milton. "We knew our emissions would be low, but to have the ability to achieve true zero emissions is revolutionary 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 pro- cess 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 charg- ing between stops, while "Nikola has engineered the holy grail of the trucking industry," he says. "We are not aware of any zero- emission 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 on- board turbine. The fuel agnostic turbine automatically charges the batteries when needed, eliminating the need to plug in the unit. bdj 30 October 2016 BestDriverJOBS www.bestdriverjobs.com