Nikola said it’s back on track after last year’s battery-electric truck recall with a new battery pack solution and has seen the first deliveries of its production-model fuel-cell electric trucks, including a 50-truck purchase from drayage giant IMC Logistics.

IMC Invests in Hydrogen and Electric for Sustainable Drayage

IMC Logistics unveiled electric vehicle charging stations and announced the recent purchase of 50 Nikola hydrogen fuel cell trucks at a March 6 event in Compton, California.

The new hydrogen trucks’ 500-mile range will allow IMC to service customers with sustainable drayage in a larger service area.

The company already has Volvo VNR electric trucks as part of their fleet. The new Freewire electric charging stations will allow IMC drivers to charge their trucks on-site.

“At IMC, we believe in the power of sustainable drayage to drive positive change for the environment,” said IMC Pacific Region President Jim Gillis in a news release. “Our blended approach to investing in both electric and hydrogen gives us the best of both technologies."

IMC also announced the opening of a new facility in Fontana, California. This 8-acre facility is equipped with high amperage service, allowing the development of 30 electric charging stations on-site. This site will be instrumental to IMC's goal of zero-emission vehicle deployment in the Inland Empire of California, according to the company.

Nikola’s FCEV Progress

When it announced its fourth-quarter and 2023 financial results recently, Nikola said it had delivered its first production hydrogen fuel cell truck in North America during the fourth quarter.

Nikola produced 42 hydrogen trucks, delivering 35 to dealers. The company reserved seven for testing and fleet demos.

Every truck delivered to dealers is spoken for by an end user, according to the company, some of which are already using the trucks in operations daily. In addition to IMC, end users include:

• Biagi Bros.

• 4 Gen / Duncan and Sons Lines

• Alberta Motor Transport Association

• Coyote Container

Nikola opened its first HYLA modular refueling station in Ontario, California, during the fourth quarter. It also announced a partnership with FirstElement Fuel in Oakland, California, for hydrogen fueling solutions in the northern part of the state.

In California, Nikola said, 99% (355 of 360) of the hydrogen fuel cell electric HVIP vouchers requested in 2023 through January 2024 are for Nikola’s hydrogen fuel cell electric truck.

Coyote Container completed an 866-mile round trip haul between The Port of Oakland, Port of Long Beach, HYLA Ontario refueling station, and returned to Oakland, stopping for only one refuel.

Nikola BEVs

After a recall last year of its battery-electric trucks following battery-pack fires, Nikola said it’s on track to deliver the first re-worked battery-electric trucks with new battery packs back to end users by the end of the first quarter and believes all trucks will be returned to end user fleets by the end of the second quarter or early in the third quarter.

Once end user trucks have been returned, it plans to begin retrofitting the remaining battery-electric trucks in Nikola inventory and selling them late this year.

In addition to new battery packs from an alternative supplier, what Nikola calls the BEV “2.0” is expected to have a number of additional enhancements, some available upon release and some to be implemented over time, such as:

• An updated instrument display

• A more user-friendly mobile app

• Scheduled departure charging to ensure maximum state of charge when a driver begins their route.

In addition to the new packs and features, Nikola said, it also expect the trucks will be lighter, improving payload capacity.

Since October 2023, there have been 33 additional HVIP voucher requests for the battery-electric truck in California, according to Nikola.