Today, in the latest instalment of the three-part series, H2 View will discuss some the Arizona-based company’s many partnerships and how they have assisted Nikola in making its dreams a reality.
Nikola along with industry partners is testing new fuelling hardware that will deliver gaseous hydrogen at the same speed as diesel, delivering a full tank up to 80kg at 70MPa in 15-20 minutes.”“With hydrogen stations equipped with fast fuelling, 240kW fuel cell power and range of 600 miles in the Nikola Class 8 truck, you are talking about a game-changer, effectively replacing diesel with green hydrogen, taking the truck out of the carbon equation.“It’s a holistic vision that many believe will ultimately be key to the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with haulage and fleet operators as the proving ground. The Tre will be made available in both the European and North American markets.The Nikola Badger is its battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric pickup truck, which recently opened for pre-orders, and will be made in collaboration with a yet-to-be announced established automaker.Nikola has arguably some of the most talked about hydrogen truck innovations of the moment, and the support and spotlight around those projects still continues to grow daily, but it’s not just the stand-alone trucks that have engaged such interest. They invested in us early on and have dedicated sustainable resources to us over the years, particularly working with us on fuel cell batteries and vehicle controls.”“We share a number of designs with Bosch. ET by Tomi Kilgore. Then, two years later, we will with follow with the fuel cell electric vehicles with the accompanying fuelling stations.”Arguably one of the key partnerships for Nikola was born last year when it joined forces with Italian industrial vehicle manufacturer IVECO, a unique partnership that came out of Nikola World 2019.Speaking at the virtual hydrogen event, Russell explained, “IVECO came over to us at the 2019 event and they said, ‘look, you’re going to need some help producing these vehicles and we are the ideal OEM partner for you.’”Russell then went on to explain that the IVECO representative at Nikola World had enthused that the company had the global footprint that Nikola was after, but more importantly, had a huge commitment to sustainability.Prior to approaching Nikola at Nikola World, IVECO had played a big part in helping Europe become more natural gas dependent rather than diesel dependent, something that resonated with both Russell and Milton due to their background in natural gas.The meeting of the two companies also coincided with the introduction of IVECO’s newest truck at the time, the S-Way, which was unveiled in Madrid last July. We have done everything with them on a technical basis 50/50,” Russell said.Looking back over some of Nikola’s great partnerships it has developed over the years really emphasises just how much industry relationships can enhance both companies and its innovations and push forward production.In the third and final part of the three-part series, H2 View will look deeper into those innovations including both the vehicles and the accompanying technologies, discussing timelines, product details and goals for the future.Molly Burgess is the News Journalist at H2 View. Nikola Motor Company designs and manufactures electric components, drivetrains and vehicles including the Nikola One and Nikola Two electric semi-trucks. Last week H2 View dived into how Nikola Motor grew from a basement-based start-up into one of the most talked about vehicle manufacturers of the moment.Today, in the latest instalment of the three-part series, H2 View will discuss some the Arizona-based company’s many partnerships and how they have assisted Nikola in making its dreams a reality.Partnerships are not something Nikola is shy of, and like many others in the hydrogen sector, the company realises the importance of industry relationships to help push forward its innovations, speed to market and in doing so has built collaborations with the likes of NEL, IVECO and FPT.Speaking at a recent virtual hydrogen event, Mark Russell, CEO explained the importance of collaboration within the industry and just how some of the company’s key partnerships came about and the role they have played in Nikola’s story.“From the beginning, we have partnered with world class organisations and strategic players who have been very willing to partner with us, which has enabled us to move forward and de-risk out business model,” Russell explained“So much faster, that we believe we will be in the market with our mass-produced battery electrical truck next year in 2021.