If there was any doubt as to the way in which Trevor Milton Nikola Trucks team is going to disrupt the whole of the heavy commercial vehicle industry ON BOTH SIDES of the Atlantic, here’s another example.
Nikola uses Iveco Cab
The US based leader in battery / Fuel cell trucks has taken an initial order for 2,500 refuse vehicles from Republic Services with the option to double the order. Interestingly, Nikola is going to use their “Tre” cab which is based on the Iveco S-Way following CNH’s ( Iveco’s parent company) 250m investment in the company last year.
Nikola Tre Refuse specification
Whilst detailed specification are still a little sketchy, what we do know is the range is quoted at 150 miles, but of course, refuse vehicles are all about how many bins can they accommodate as much as mileage, Nikola believe it will be capable of 1,200 bins in a single charge and the unit will be “limited” to 1000 bhp making to truck capable of climbing uphill fully loaded without much effort, all powered via a 720kWh battery
Complete vehicle solution
Just like in the UK, although of course we do have complete refuse manufacturers, many US operators buy the chassis from the OEM and then go to the bodybuilder for the body. Nikola will be producing both the chassis and body and covering this with a complete vehicle warranty. Front end loaders (FEL) and side loaders will be available but no mention of a rear end loader (REL) and the complete vehicle will be zero emission.
Nikola Tre Refuse timeline
Testing of this new design is expected to be undertaken as early as 2022 with full production slated for the year after in 2023. Use of the can derived from the S-Way is an essential part of the project as underlined by Trevor Milton ” By sharing the Tre platform we can drive costs down for both programs by using the same parts”.
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