Zero Emission 2,000 km Big Rigs Are on the Horizon – Nikola One

Electric Vehicles are about to swamp the market, bringing massive savings to their owners …. and they have 7 – 10 times better Cradle to Grave Emissions compared to their FOSSIL fueled equivalents. It’s a win-win for all, and becoming affordable for most Kiwis.

Kiwis are now also saving up to 80% of their vehicle running costs by going electric. Who wouldn’t be happy with paying 30 cents a litre equivalent for petrol, right?

But wait, there’s more! A Tesla Model S traveled 320,000 in 14 months and retained 94% battery capacity, that’s impressive.

EV’s are here to stay.

Buses and city trucks are also starting to be converted to either full electric or plug-in hybrid care of companies like Wrightspeed.com.

But what about long haul big rig trucks?

Say hello to the Nikola One

The trucking equivalent of Tesla may be just around the corner, care of Nikola, the world’s first Zero Emission long haul big rig truck.

Check out the link below for a sneaky preview of what’s to come.

The name Nikola is derived from one Nikola Tesla, born in 1856 in Croatia. We reckon he’d be pretty chuffed to be the name behind two automotive cutting-edge companies.

Back to the Nikola One, here are some headline details of this zero emissions beast.

• 2,000 km Fuel Cell Range
  Thanks to the combination onboard Lithium Ion battery and fuel cell generator, the Nikola One won’t be running out of juice anytime soon. Hydrogen refueling stations are being installed throughout the US start 2018 / 2019. The Hydrogen is included “free of charge” in the lease of the trucks, providing up to 2,000 km of range, and only 100 kgs of hydrogen. That’s a longer range than most diesel long haul trucks.
• 325 kWh Lithium Battery
  The Nikola One also boasts an impressive battery capacity equivalent to to three Tesla Model S at 325 Kilowatt hours. This is primarily used for peak output but also regenerative breaking. No more expensive brake pads!
• 100% Electric Drive – 6 Wheel Electric Drive
  You thought diesel was good. Try 745 KW and 2,700 Nm, and spread across 6 wheels.
• 15 Min Refill Time – 1.6 million free Kilometres of Hydrogen
  Refill times are not a lot different to diesel, and it’s free for the first 1.6 million kms. The good news also is split from water using only wind and solar generation. Plus, only a small number of hydrogen refueling stations would be needed in NZ.
• Order Now, Launching in ….2019
  The only downside, except for the unknown lease price is that it’s not launching in the US until 2019, so NZ may be some time away. But it’s good to know that Hydrogen Fuel Cell trucks are on their way.

We say, please come to Aotearoa Nikola, it would only take a handful of hydrogen refueling stations to make this a reality.

NZ Rail should be rethinking switching back to diesel from electric and going Hydrogen generated from wind, hydro and solar.