Nikola Logs Q4, Refocuses on HD Truck Segment
Nikola officials said they have refocused the business and realigned resources to battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric heavy-duty trucks, as well as hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

Nikola has completed the assembly of the first five Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicle prototypes.
Photo: Nikola
Nikola reported a loss of $147 million, or 38 cents a share, in fourth quarter 2020, compared with a loss of 2.6 million, or 16 cents a share, in Q4 2019. The quarter ended Dec. 31, 2020.
During that time, Nikola officials said the company has refocused its business and realigned resources to battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric heavy-duty trucks, as well as hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
"In the fourth quarter of 2020, Nikola made the necessary changes to refocus and realign the company. You have seen us restructure our agreement with GM, cancel our battery electric refuse truck program, discontinue our Powersports program,” said Mark Russell, Nikola's Chief Executive Officer.
Commissioning and Validation of the first Nikola Tre
During the fourth quarter update, officials announced that Nikola has completed the assembly of the first five Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicle prototypes.
All trucks are in the commissioning process and are ramping up to full speed, torque, and payload hauling capacity as part of the company’s level two software release and vehicle validation process, Nikola officials said in a press release.
Four trucks are in North America at multiple locations undergoing powertrain, durability and extreme weather testing. One truck remains in Europe for ABS braking, traction control and electronic stability control testing. Nikola and Iveco have also begun the assembly of the second batch of prototype trucks at the Ulm facility in Germany.
Trial production of Nikola Tre trucks is scheduled to begin in June 2021.
More Fuel Smarts

Enhance Fleet Performance with High-Efficiency Auxiliary Power Units
Drive sustainable cost savings while increasing driver comfort during short- and long-haul logistics operations.
Read More →
Maintenance in the ‘Messy Middle’ Part 2: Renewable Diesel Fuel
NACFE's latest Messy Middle Powertrain Service & Maintenance report says renewable diesel gives fleets an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions without changing trucks, fueling infrastructure or maintenance practices. But technicians still need to understand several important operational differences.
Read More →
The Diesel Engine Enters NACFE’s ‘Messy Middle’
NACFE’s new Messy Middle Powertrain Service & Maintenance report says keeping modern diesel engines running now depends as much on software, diagnostics and data as traditional mechanical service.
Read More →
DTNA Software Update Gives Truckers More Time Before DEF Derates Take Effect
The changes reflect EPA guidance aimed at reducing downtime caused by emissions-system faults while maintaining compliance requirements.
Read More →
New Agentic Predictive Maintenance Report Demonstrates How Degraded Aftertreatment Systems Waste Fuel
Questar analyzed a large mixed-class fleet and discovered it was wasting as much as $30 in fuel per vehicle, per day, because of mechanically degraded aftertreatment systems.
Read More →
New York City's Microhub Project is Delivering Results
Trucking, last-mile delivery companies, and environmental advocates like what they are seeing so far with New York's microhub program.
Read More →
Lessons Learned About Alternative Fuels: Start Small, Stay Flexible
Practical advice on adopting alternative fuels and ZEVs from HDT's 2026 Top Green Fleets, from renewable diesel and natural gas to electric trucks.
Read More →
Kempower Adds Flex EV Charger to Help Support Transition to Megawatt Charging
The Kempower Mega Satellite Flex has both a CCS and MCS connector, allowing operators to serve both types of heavy-duty vehicles.
Read More →
Hino Adds Electric Class 6/7 Truck
Hino says the Le Series is an important step in the company's efforts to reduce environmental impact and support its customers’ sustainability goals.
Read More →
Can Multi-Speed EV Transmissions Solve Heavy Trucking’s Biggest Electric-Vehicle Problems?
A startup called Sigma Powertrain believes purpose-built multi-speed gearboxes can boost efficiency, reduce battery size and improve gradeability for heavy-duty battery-electric trucks.
Read More →

