FirstElement Fuel to Provide H2 for Nikola Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Trucks

Nikola and FirstElement Fuel announced a 10-year agreement to refuel Nikola’s hydrogen fuel-cell electric truck at FEF’s hydrogen refueling station in Oakland, California.

Under this strategic partnership, Fleet Element Fuel has been named an authorized Nikola Fueling Solutions Partner. The deal enables Nikola customers to access fueling services at the new FEF multi-use heavy-duty truck station near the Port of Oakland, California.

The station, which uses FEF’s proprietary design, is anticipated to have a fueling capacity of approximately 200 trucks per day. The company claims it will have the world’s first heavy-duty truck H70 fast-fill lane for efficient hydrogen refueling. The station received funding from the California Energy Commission under the NorCal Zero Project.

Nikola said this agreement aligns with its initial truck launch strategy, concentrating on the deployment of its zero-emissions trucks in areas adjacent to maritime ports throughout California.

“Our customers now have access to fuel at FEF’s first heavy-duty site in Oakland, California. With additional stations planned, this signifies a powerful synergy between Nikola and FEF, driving us towards a shared vision of a future with cleaner and more sustainable solutions,” said Joe Cappello, Nikola president of energy.

Additional Fueling Stations

Nikola said Oakland station's fast-fill lane is a prime example of the synergies between its truck technology and FEF’s station capabilities.

Nikola plans to pursue several paths to achieve a network of up to 60 stations in the coming years, including mobile and permanent Hyla-branded stations (Hyla is a Nikola Corp. brand), customer-owned stations, and new and established public truck stops via Nikola’s fueling station partner network.

Two fueling locations are slated by the end of 2023 — one Hyla-branded fueling station in Ontario, California, and the FEF Oakland location. Several additional fueling locations are planned by the end of the second quarter of 2024.

FirstElement Fuel is in the process of installing more hydrogen refueling stations capable of fast filling for Class 8 trucks. The fueling company said the deal with Nikola will enable an acceleration of its commitment to building hydrogen infrastructure to serve transportation hubs in areas where clean solutions are imperative.

Nikola’s Strategy

Nikola said its broader strategy involves working with industry-leading partners to ensure a robust hydrogen supply chain, transport logistics, storage solutions, and dispensing locations.

Nikola previously announced that enough energy offtake has been secured to support customer operations through the beginning of 2024. The team is actively working to secure additional hydrogen offtake for future sales while continuing to develop the refueling ecosystem, according to Nikola.