PHOENIX — Nikola has sold a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA), expanding its footprint into Canada for the first time.
According to a news release, AMTA will incorporate the new heavy-duty vehicles into its Hydrogen Commercial Vehicle Demonstrations Project.
“This first-of-its-kind project in Canada officially launched on Feb. 10, 2023, and offers Alberta carriers the opportunity to use and test Class 8 vehicles that operate with hydrogen fuel within their unique operations,” the news release noted. ‘These trials will look at the performance of hydrogen-fueled vehicles on Alberta roads, payloads and weather conditions, while addressing challenges around fuel cell reliability, infrastructure and vehicle cost and maintenance.”
Doug Paisley, AMTA’s board chair, said his organization is helping Cananda to reach its 2050 net-zero goals by supporting the adoption of zero-emissions commercial vehicles.
“We are excited to put these Nikola trucks to work in Alberta and begin collecting performance data, raising awareness to this advanced technology, promoting early adoption and creating industry confidence in such an innovative technology,” Paisley said. “AMTA works closely with the industry and its many partners to identify and research opportunities and propose and implement data-driven solutions that meet the needs and challenges of our industry.”
The Nikola Tre BEV has a range of up to 330 miles, according to the company, which notes that “The Tre’s cabover design is ideal for metro-regional applications because it has improved visibility and maneuverability, along with a smooth and quiet ride free of the smell of diesel emissions.”
“Canada is moving fast to decarbonize the transportation sector by removing diesel trucks from the road to help the environment,” said Michael Lohscheller, president and CEO of Nikola Corporation. “We want Nikola to be in lockstep with leaders like AMTA to accelerate these important market adoption and regulatory policies.”
With a range of up to 500 miles and an estimated fueling time of 20 minutes (depending on the characteristics of the hydrogen fueling location, including fueling hardware and software protocol, fuel quantity and fueling conditions), the Nikola Tre FCEV is expected to have among the longest range of all commercially available zero tailpipe emission Class 8 trucks while realizing weight savings when compared to BEV Class 8 trucks with similar range, according to Nikola officials.
“Canada is a global climate leader with bold targets for emission reductions,” said Carey Mendes, president of Nikola Energy. “Nikola’s zero-emissions trucks and its plans for building hydrogen infrastructure are aligned with Canada’s goals and underpins a fair share our publicly announced plans for 300 metric-tons of hydrogen supply, with 60 hydrogen stations planned for across North America by 2026. This partnership is just the beginning of bringing hundreds of FCEVs to Alberta and Canada.”
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