Featured Sandy Munro And Nikola

That's a lot better than watching it roll down hill only powered by gravity. Oh wait, that was the hydrogen version.
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This was in the article:

Nikola Tre 6x2 specs:

• up to 350 miles (563 km) of range in an undisclosed test cycle
• 753 kWh battery capacity
• top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h)
• gradeability of 36 mph (58 km/h) at 6%
• system output of 480 kW (645 hp)
• DC fast charging: 10-80% SOC in 120 minutes at up to 240 kW
• (CCS1 or CCS2 standard)
• GCWR: 82,000 lbs. (37,195 kg)
• vehicle weight: undisclosed

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Bob Wilson

 

But they say they will be making hydrogen fuel cell trucks in 2023. It appears they have a non working fuelcell prototype now that can run on its batteries all by itself which is much better than having to tow it.
https://futurism.com/the-byte/nikola-fake-hydrogen-truck-plugged-in-demo

They have delivered 2 bev electric semitrucks only 28 months after freightliner (once part of daimler (mercedes) spun off as Daimler truck this month) delivered their first 2 bev semitrucks to southern california.
https://electrek.co/2021/12/16/volvo-daimler-and-traton-invest-e500-million-to-build-out-high-power-electric-truck-network-in-europe/
https://demanddetroit.com/epowertrain/

Nikola claims a range of 350 miles on a 753 kwh battery that charges to 80% in 2 hours. Freightliner currently sold has a range of 250 miles on a 475 kwh battery (210 kwh and 315 kwh are options) they claim that charging to 80% can be done in 90 minutes and have customers with a combined over a million miles on the trucks. I guess Nikola was able to put a bigger battery in their class 8 semi trucks. I am not sure of other advantages and it is only slightly less efficient 4.6 miles/kwh than the eCasscadia's 5.2 miles/kwh. We will soon see how they do in the real world ;-)

I have no idea why Nikola still doesn't seem to have working prototypes of the fuel cell they claim is better. I would think they could simply grab some used mirai cheap and use 2 mirai fuel cells per prototype to charge a big battery. Hell toyota might sell them the fuel cells they want to use in their semi. My guess is efficiency is really bad, so tanks need to be really large for the range they are claiming.

 

Not to mention that retail hydrogen cost per mile remains about 3x more than direct battery charging.

Bob Wilson

 

You'll find those types of shows at priuschat too, it's not immune. Just sit back and watch the show. Anything u might offer will not change the group speak, even temporarily. got $ proof!
edit : thought you'd ask - 34 Synonyms & Antonyms of PROOF - Merriam-Webster

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Link?
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I think battery charging in some places may be quite expensive. We are talking about around 400 kw for 2 hours to charge a nikola bev. If you have 30 trucks trying to charge that is quite a rate surcharge in some regions, even if you burry MWhs of batteries to buffer. That is why these proposals are for short haul trucking so far. Short haul can take there time to charge, even if the truck is doing multiple charges with multiple drivers per day.

If hydrogen is 50% efficient then (33.6 kwh/kg /(50% efficiency) *(0.46 miles/kwh)) = 7.7 miles/kg hydrogen assuming battery is big enough to keep the fuel cell in its most efficient range. The problem is volume and up time Not hydrogen cost. If you want hydrogen to provide 800 miles of range then you need 100 kg, which would be about 4,000 liters @10,000 psi. If hydrogen is $15/kg then it is about $2/mile. This compares to diesel which is about $1/mile. The cost of the driver and maintenance adds greatly to the costs, so if the fuel cell semi can get lower maintenance costs, well it may be competitive. I'm not sure how much all those hydrogen stations will cost for long haul though. Nikola plans to lease the trucks with fuel included. That way they can hide the costs and get a test fleet out there. They promised Anheiser bush trucks to test in 2020, now its next year ;-)

Hey would love it if they actually fulfilled promises, I just am extremely doubtful.

Btw: NREL and FedEx sucessfully tested phev gasoline delivery trucks. With a 100 kwh battery or bigger a semi with an efficient gasoline engine could provide much lower maintenance and fuel costs, while cutting unhealthy pollution. I don't think long haul is ready for prime time for bev or fuel cell.

Good luck to Freightliner, Toyota, and Nikola to get short and medium haul phev fuel cell trucks on the road in an economic manner.

 

Based on our 2014 BMW i3-REx, a PHEV semi using a generator powered by a high efficiency engine would make sense. If a fuel-cell manufacturer can come up with a drop-in replacement, good. Regardless, deliveries count and it looks like BEV semi trailers are arriving at customers.

Bob Wilson

 

That seems like a lot of batteries to get another 100 miles of range.

Comments to an article on this mention that Nikola's BEV is too big for European regulations. What Freightliner delivered might be smaller to be easier to use for the job at hand.

Something like that was at a past job. That's what I picture for a drayage truck. It moves containers to and from the ship, train, or road truck from the storage area. it's low speed, but small and maneuverable. If doing some work off site, and road legal, the truck will get bigger, but short haul work doesn't need a huge truck. The Nikola Tre is at least a cab over engine model, but Toyota's FCEV truck appears to be a full size, long nose truck. Its power output is just 30hp more than the Mirai's. Can it actually handle jobs beyond short hauls on flat land?

That drayage truck is actually a lead acid BEV that started working at a California port in 2008 or 2009.
Balqon Begins Production of Electric Port Drayage Trucks for San Pedro Ports - Green Car Congress

Several fleet operators already have CNG trucks and stations. Those PHEVs could get cleaner. Of course, installing high speed gasoline pumps for public use is a lot cheaper than CNG ones.

Preemptive mention; methanol.

 

It does show they have a working test mule that has hydrogen tanks and a fuel cell or fuel cells and probably that 250 kwh battery.

I did find it cringeworthy, I don't know what it is about these youtube videos. He looks down and sees water and says that is because of the fuel cell, who knows, My model 3 sweats water from its air-conditioning. At least he didn't drink water from the tailpipe ;-) He said it was perfect for short haul, but Nikola is positioning this for long haul which means you need to build hydrogen stations. He said it will be much cheaper than diesel with no facts. Nikola promises to lease these things at prices that include maintenance and fuel at really low prices compared to what fuel cell busses currently operate. It remains to be seen if they can actually do this. They won't even have a fueling station until 2023.

Probably a good move to put 2 prototype bev trucks on the road in a customers hands. That will help them see what the real range of the batteries is. Shell will have fuel at the Ports of LA and Long Beach to test the fuel cell semi when its ready. Toyota has already delivered some.

If we figures around 2 kwh of batteries for every mile, Nikola is slightly worse, Freightliner slightly better, then it would add 200 kwh for every 100 miles. The delta is that plus the Nikola's worse efficiency. Tesla has hinted their prototype has 500 kwh and 300 mile range which would be the most efficient, but they haven't shipped prototypes to Customers yet for their testing. Freightliner has their semi in the hands of 50 customers, and will be in real production next year.

The Nikola truck and the Toyota truck are class 8 for US and Canada, as is the Freightliner eCasscadia. The Casscadia is the best selling class 8. Freightliner has multiple smaller electric trucks and vans.

 

To add further insult to injury;

Nikola's ridiculous $2 billion Tesla Semi lawsuit might go away in a few days - Electrek
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My understanding is the loser pays the legal fees, another loss of income and any good will.

Bob Wilson

 

Wonder if that trailer runs on diesel. Don't see any solar panels, which would probably take about 350 or so panels each averaging 400bWatts - if they're buffering a big bank of batteries.
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