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Hydrogen-Fueled Trucking Company Releases Plan for New Semi

A trucking startup called Nikola Motor Company wants to make a mark on the automotive world with a hydrogen-electric semi truck for Europe, Asia, and Australia.

A trucking startup called Nikola Motor Company wants to make a mark on the automotive world with a hydrogen-electric semi truck for Europe, Asia, and Australia. Nikola revealed the new truck, called the Tre, on Monday, according to The Verge.

In order to make it competitive for long-distance travel the truck has a range of about 310 to 750 miles, not an extraordinary range, but also notable because the maker says it can be recharged in about 20 minutes.

A gas station infrastructure to support hydrogen vehicles hasn’t been widely adopted in the United States. Nikola has partnered with hydrogen production and fueling company Nel ASA, which is based in Norway. Together they plan to install a network of 16 fueling stations across the target regions. These stations will also be available to members of the public with hydrogen vehicles, Nel ASA said in a press release.

“We have thousands of trucks that have been reserved and need to be delivered. The stations are the first step to completing that process,” said Scott Perry, Nikola’s chief operating officer. “Nel has delivered over 3,500 hydrogen solutions in over 80 countries since 1927. We are confident they can deliver.”

Nikola’s truck uses a hydrogen fuel cell to run multiple electric motors.

The name of the company might sound familiar, and Tesla has noticed: Nikola sued Tesla this year for allegedly violating patents.

The new version of Nikola’s truck is expected to go into production in 2023, according to the company. Potential customers will be able to get a closer look at it at the Nikola World conference in April 2019. Nikola is currently taking reservations.

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