Nikola Motor has unveiled its Nikola One electric semi-truck vehicle at an invite-only event at its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, US.
The Nikola One utilizes a fully electric drivetrain powered by high-density lithium batteries. Energy will be supplied on-the-go by a hydrogen fuel cell giving the Nikola One a range of 800 - 1,200 miles while delivering over 1,000 horsepower and 2,000ft.lbs. of torque – nearly double that of any semi-truck on the road.
Never has a production model class 8 truck achieved best-in-class fuel efficiency while also dramatically improving performance over its diesel competition – all with zero-emissions.
The Nikola One leasing program will include unlimited hydrogen fuel, warranty and scheduled maintenance during a 72 - month term. To date, Nikola Motor Company has accepted reservations totaling nearly three billion dollars in future orders.
Nikola Manufacturing Plant & Hydrogen Stations
Nikola Founder and CEO Trevor Milton said: “Nikola will build a world - class advanced manufacturing facility which will create thousands of new jobs."
Nikola is currently in discussions with several states to decide who to partner with in its effort to reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels, advance green energy and revolutionize the trucking industry.
The location of t he Nikola Motor manu facturing facility will be determined in the first half of 2017. At the launch event, Milton will also unveil Nikola’s plan for a network of Nikola hydrogen fueling stations across the US and Canada. Nikola plans to begin construction of its hydrogen fueling stations in January 2018.
Nationwide Sales, Service and Warranty At t his evening’s event , Nikola Motor Company will announc e Ryder System , Inc. as its exclusive nationwide distribution and maintenance provider . Ryder has a network of over 800 service locations in North America today.
Milton said: “We are extremely excited to finally show off the Nikola One to the public for the first time. “There are many out there that wondered if we would deliver, but today we proudly show off the most advanced semi-truck ever built.
"We couldn’t be more thrilled to have one of the best brands in America, Ryder, as our trusted partner providing nationwide sales, service and warranty for Nikola Motor Company.”
Talking about the new strategic partnership, Ryder Global Fleet Management Solutions president Dennis Cooke said: “We commend Nikola for its leadership in zero emission vehicles, and for its decision to partner with Ryder as their exclusive nationwide distribution and maintenance provider.
This relationship is key to expanding our advanced vehicle technology portfolio of innovative solutions. Ryder continually monitor s emerging fleet technologies and seeks to establish relationships with companies that are leading innovation within the commercial transportation industry.”
In addition to Ryder System’s national coverage, Thompson Machinery, a Caterpillar dealer and an early investor in Nikola Motor Company, will also offer sales and service in Tennessee and Mississippi.
Nikola Zero
Nikola Motor Company also unveiled it plans for a 1,000 lb., 107kWh battery pack for its electric UTV, the Nikola Zero.
Milton said: “Our battery engineers have made major advances in storage and cooling.”
“We believe our lithium battery packs are more energy dense and weigh less than any available vehicle production pack per kWh. This new battery pack should give our UTV over 300 miles of range on a single charge.”
Nikola plans to offer its patent pending battery packs to OEMs for purchase beginning in 2017.
