Nikola hydrogen fuel cell truck spotlighted by company at CES

The vehicle was developed with regional haul purposes in mind and has a range of 500 miles.

CES 2024 is always a place for tech companies to show off their latest, and Nikola Corp took its opportunity this year to place its fuel cell truck in the spotlight, with a particular focus on its range and maneuverability.

Nikola took the vehicle on a test ride on January 7, showing off just what it was capable of doing.

Nikola’s hydrogen fuel cell truck was designed with regional haul applications in mind and features a 500-mile range when it is pulling a loaded trailer. Its hydrogen capacity is 70 kilograms and is equipped with two backup batteries offering an additional combined 164-kilowatt hour total.

“This is what we classify this truck as, it’s a day cab, it’s a regional-haul truck,” explained Nikola’s global head of program and product management Christian Appel. “A lot of out-and-back applications. We’re going into the ports with these trucks and typical regional where you cover maybe 350 to 500 miles a day.”

The majority of the Nikola fuel cell truck test drive was done by Appel within a residential area.

Appel did the test driving on a clear day in a residential area on the edge of the city. It faced little traffic and didn’t travel in any areas where there was construction underway. With these ideal driving conditions, Appel was able to demonstrate the handling, including both braking and accelerating, all of which – including tight turns – were smooth to the individual in the passenger seat.

Nikola Fuel Cell Truck – Image Source: Nikola

“This truck has very good maneuverability, a very good performance and, I mentioned the range, one of the longest ranges for any zero-emission truck out there right now,” said Appel. “It always depends on the application, what range you can really achieve. But I always like to give a couple of real-world references. So, for example, I drove one of the trucks from Coolidge [Ariz.], our headquarters, up to Flagstaff, Ariz., which is all the way up the hill.”

Hauling a full load

Appel also went on to explain that while the hydrogen fuel cell truck was hauling a load of about 81,000 pounds and driving uphill, it was still able to achieve a 450-mile range. That said, under easier circumstances, some tests run with customers have shown that the vehicle can run for closer to 550 miles.

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