Get ready for the ultimate heavy-duty electric tractor-unit heading across the Atlantic and into Europe in the not too distant future, courtesy of Nikola.
The concept version of the Nikola TRE will be premiered at Nikola World in Phoenix, Arizona next April, along with other new zero-emission products from Nikola, including the production variant of the Nikola TWO.
“This truck is a real stunner and long overdue for Europe,” said Nikola Motor Company Founder & CEO Trevor Milton.
“It will be the first European zero-emission commercial truck to be delivered with redundant braking, redundant steering, redundant 800Vdc batteries and a redundant 120 kW hydrogen fuel cell, all necessary for true level 5 autonomy.
Expect our production to begin around the same time as our USA version in 2022-2023.”
The Nikola TRE, meaning Three in Norwegian, has 500 to 1,000hp, 6×4 or 6×2 configurations and a range of 500 to 1,200 kilometres depending on options. The TRE will meet the current size and length restrictions for Europe.
European testing is projected to begin in Norway around 2020 and the developer is also in the preliminary planning stages to identify the proper location for its European manufacturing facility.
Nikola is currently working with Nel Hydrogen in Oslo to provide hydrogen stations for USA. “Nel has been good to work with for our USA station design and rollout.
We will work with Nel to secure resources for our European growth strategy. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but with the right partners, we can accomplish it,” explained Kim Brady, Nikola Motor Company CFO.
By 2028, Nikola is planning on having more than 700 hydrogen stations across the USA and Canada.
Each station is capable of 2,000 to 8,000 kgs of daily hydrogen production. Nikola’s European stations are planned to come online around 2022 and are projected to cover most of the European market by 2030.