Nikola rolls out rig of the future
INNOVATIVE RIDE: Smoother, quieter cab comes with perks and a hydrogen fuel cell
After driving so many miles behind the wheel of various sized, shaped and powered rigs, I was really getting bored. Been there, done that.
Then, suddenly, I have something to be excited about again.
For months now, artist drawings, concepts really, of the rig of the future have been found on the Internet. Then, on Dec. 1 of last year, Nikola Motor Company rolled out the real thing. They call it Nikola One.
It is a cab-over rig but a whole different concept. It looks like a conventional rig of today, but now the driver sits right up front, thus giving the cab some 30 per cent more living space. It’s an apartment back there.
But hang on. The hits just keep on coming.
It boasts an all-independent suspension electric drive using current generated by a hydrogen fuel cell.
The only by-product from this power source will be a few drops of water. No smoke. It’s almost a stealth rig. Just the buzzing of the tires as it zips by.
Just to explain the power unit a little further, water is the by-product from the power that’s made by combining hydrogen with the oxygen in the air that’s all around us. This is done in the special fuel cell, which they call the PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane).
The suspension is out of this world. The fifth wheel is mounted directly onto the rear airbags, which allows for a stiffer frame and more comfortable ride. The ride improvement is also due to the new design of long-travel air and shock absorbers and double wishbone suspension at every wheel position.
There’s a motor for every wheel, so there’s no need for a differential, meaning next to no more vibration, no more grinding gears, no more power loss when the driver misses a gear. Still not sold? Nikola Motor Company founder and CEO Trevor Milton has spent a lot of time and energy on this project, including how to keep his vision on the road in Canada and the U.S. He’s going to make sure 364 Nikola fuel station/truck stops are built by the time his rigs going into service. The price will be about 57 cents a litre in Canadian dollars.
But that’s not going to be a worry factor for the driver, as customers won’t have to pay for fuel.
His plan is to offer the trucks on a six-year lease that includes everything from windshield wipers to tires to fuel, all included in the cost of the lease. That cost will be about $6,000 per month.
Already, hundreds of owner-operators plus many big and small companies have put their money down to be part of the next era of trucking.
The largest believer is the chairman and founder of U.S. Xpress, one of the largest trucking fleets in the Excited States. They’ve ordered so many of the new rigs, their company colours are featured on the Nikola One.
Servicing of these units has been covered too, even though the rigs aren’t yet on the road. Nikola Motor Company is already in partnership with Ryder Leasing, which has over 800 service locations in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Ryder has also promised to train their 5,000-plus technicians so they can maintain these new age rigs.
The bases have been covered. The T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted. Bring on the rigs! I could fill a newspaper with stories about road life on the road, but why not share yours? Send them to Driving editor Andrew McCredie at amccredie@postmedia.com