Nikola launches first hydrogen fuel cell truck mobile fueler

Jan. 23, 2023

The fuelers will support early Nikola Tre FCEV customers and refuel back-to-back.

Related To: Nikola Motor Company (NMC)

Nikola Corporation, a heavy-duty commercial battery-electric and fuel-cell electric manufacturer, has developed a heavy-duty, 700-bar (10,000 psi) hydrogen mobile fueler capable of direct fueling hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Nikola's mobile fueler program includes its own mobile fuelers as well as a number of third-party mobile fuelers.

"Nikola has spent the greater part of two years developing a flexible mobile fueling solution which cools and compresses hydrogen to rapidly fill 700 bar FCEV heavy-duty trucks," said Nikola Corporation President and CEO, Michael Lohscheller. "Coupled with Nikola's hydrogen tube trailer, with a capacity of 960 kg, Nikola's mobile fueler can refuel customer trucks back-to-back. This will deliver flexible hydrogen fueling solutions for our customers starting in 2023 and will complement Nikola's permanent hydrogen fueling stations which are being developed."

Nikola's first mobile fueler has completed commissioning and testing and has been released for market operation. Nikola has additional hydrogen mobile fuelers being commissioned in Q1 2023.

Nikola has also recently received a California Air Resources Board (CARB) Zero-Emission Powertrain Executive Order that is a requirement for the Nikola Tre FCEV to be eligible for CARB's Hybrid and Zero Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) program.

Upon final HVIP approval, purchasers of the Nikola Tre FCEV in 2023 may be able to qualify for California's state-based incentive valued at $240,000 per truck; $270,000 per truck for drayage fleets; or up to $288,000 per truck for fleets with:

10 trucks or less
performing drayage operations
located within a disadvantaged community area.

Eligible non-drayage fleets may secure up to 30 HVIP vouchers and drayage fleets may secure up to 50 vouchers.

In addition to the funding provided by HVIP, purchasers of Nikola's Tre FCEVs will also qualify for an additional $40,000 clean commercial vehicle tax credit in 2023 from the federal government due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.