Nikola Corp., through its Nikola Energy division, and TravelCenters of America Inc. (TA-Petro), a publicly traded operator of full-service travel centers in the U.S., have agreed to collaborate on the installation of hydrogen fueling stations for heavy-duty trucks at two existing TA-Petro sites.
The collaboration is a first step for the parties to explore the mutual development of a nationwide network of hydrogen fueling stations. The collaboration is subject to negotiation and execution of definitive documentation acceptable to the parties.
“Our collaboration in southern California will form a basis for building an expanded network of hydrogen fueling stations for Nikola vehicle customers and for industry use overall,” says Pablo Koziner, president of energy and commercial at Nikola. “This collaboration forms an essential part in delivering the hydrogen-based ecosystem required to advance zero-emission solutions for commercial trucks.”
The first two stations will be constructed at existing TA-Petro locations in California and are targeted to be commercially operational by Q1 2023. These stations are expected to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell-powered commercial electric trucks. Paired with the expected 500-mile range of the previously-announced Nikola Tre fuel cell electric vehicle, the launch stations will enable operations of zero-emission heavy-duty commercial vehicles in and around the greater Los Angeles region and north through California’s Central Valley.
The two hydrogen fueling stations under consideration for development by Nikola and TA-Petro will provide for an open fueling network available to any truck customer and will follow a common industry standard for heavy-duty fueling protocols, ensuring compatibility across all hydrogen fuel-cell truck manufacturers.
Photo: The Nikola Tre fuel cell electric vehicle
