This is the right mindset. Don´t be afraid of new things, get informations, lock at them, test them, see if it saves you good money and be ready in your head when the time is right to shift. Otherwise you will be beaten by your competitors and go out of buisiness.
So, if you bung up, say, a bumper, on this (or a Tesla), where do you get parts? At least with eventual Freightliner, Volvo, IH, or PACCAR electrics, parts will be available. This same thing happened when CNG was the big shiny new thing. There were a number of journeyman CNG builders, fuel system converters, tank suppliers, and most didn’t last more than a year to two without a dealer network. A better idea is not always the best idea!
Not sure this is ahead or behind the times at this moment , the big downside is both the cost of the battery packs and most importantly the unladen weight of the tractor, then there is the charging problem because thats a big investment in the shorterm, like cars the range is short Im not convinced electric is the way to go , in the background hydrogen is comming on in leaps and bounds and im placing my bets on this long term
It’s not about saving money, currently in California it cost equivalent to $6 dollars a gallon of diesel to charge an electric vehicle. I’m not against change but the Guinea pig in this hole process is going to drain you as a small business. The only benefactors in this hole process is the dealers and shops.
These are the type of trucks you see in Brazil or Europe, but they are still diesel there. $250,000 for this cracker box or $250,000 for 389 Pete... hmmmmm..🤔
To make a decent amount of money and a good return on the investment these trucks would need to go at least 600 miles per day between charges and also how much of a help money wise the feds would kick in along with the home state
He sounds just like a salesman, broad answers, & you pussed out with softball questions. How many service centers, how does heating in winter effect the range, AC in summer effect the range does it have a generator on it, if you take delivery on 1 of those trucks you will be the Ginny pig , they should pay you to run the truck in your fleet or give you a free 1 so you can give a favorable report or not to the public or other fleet. Owners 😊
@@flintcreektransport - Good job pulling together this video. Softball questions or deep delved interrogative questions, you went out of your way to bring details and information to the people. Much, much respect. 💯
Fuel cells do make sense for long-haul trucks carrying heavy loads but keep in mind there are only 48 public H2 refill stations to date in the USA and roughly 1000 globally. Nearly all the public H2 stations are in Califorani to date. I am working with an engineering firm on three H2 fueling stations in the Southwest and there are optimistic projections there could be as many as 1000 by 2026 starting with the NFL/NBA cities.
@@Carl_in_AZ A hydrogen highway in Europe from Bergen in Norway to Bolzano in Italy is now well served by h2 stations. A new hydrogen highway from Brisbane to Melbourne (Australia) is now being built up. I suppose a hydrogen highway from San Diego to Vancouver would make a lot of sense as well.
@@lesliecarter4295 I knew that Europe was much further along in H2 than other countries. Australia has electric utility grid issues in the Outback to produce hydrogen. Solar in remote regions would be their best option to produce H2. In the USA shipments from Asia come into the Western state's ports and need to be distributed along the interstates from West to East. The company I work for produces hydrogen fuel cell power trains for use on Scania, Navistar, and Freightliner which offer up to a 300-mile range. The goal is to offer a 600-mile range H2 semi. Keep in mind that diesel semis can average 5 - 7 mpg with 300-gallon tanks.
@@Carl_in_AZ thanks for the insight. The hydrogen economy is being rolled out quietly but effectively for commercial vehicles. They price of hydrogen is also competitive with diesel and getting cheaper. I think you may have a very secure job well into the future. 👍
@@flintcreektransport so then they at going to force electric trucks on us but not pulling a dump??? That’s kinda queer…. I run over 400 miles a day with the county I work at in Mississippi and my truck weighs over 98 thousand when loaded….Hummm what is wrong with that picture
Theirs a big plant in AZ for Nikola , I deliver alot parts for those semi trucks , had a chance to see alot of the pre builds , deliver alot of the massive electric expensive axles these truck have pretty crazy to see how it was built and what it comes out to be now fully built pretty impressive
@@rickbareman2263 275 miles reliably but there's not much stopping you putting in more batteries or taking 2-hour lunchbreaks while it charges. There's one city-city freeway route in the USA it wouldn't make that has no mid-way charge point, somewhere on the west, I forget where (northern California maybe?) but everywhere else is either closer or has charging points. If you're using your own trailer you could put solar panels on the roof to extend your range.
Good info here. 350 miles on one charge is really a very well estimated guess. Your mileage will vary! Two hours to charge extremely doubtful!These trucks have no history. Could they be as reliable as your standard diesel engine? Time will tell, but it’s a huge gamble for $425,000!
I'm an OTR driver. Guess my biggest concern is charging those trucks. I've heard about these "super chargers" so you're basically hooked up to a power substation while you're sleeping. Makes me slightly nervous, but the trucks are pretty cool and driving a quiet truck for 50 or 60 hours per week would be pretty nice.
14:10! Jeez! Don't do that! You get out the same way you got in, meaning with your back facing outward, and using the grab rails. PLEASE NEVER JUMP OUT! For a european guy like me the cab is pretty familiar, it's from the (diesel powered) Iveco S-Way which you can find all over europe, except for the handbrake buttons, and that Nikola has updated it with digital screens. They have done a nice job with that, Iveco should also put that in their trucks I think, as most manufacturers over here have switched over to completely digital cockpits. Ofcourse the turning circle is not impressive to us as most european trucks have a much shorter wheelbase🙂. The long wheelbase enables to store a lot of battery capacity hence the good range. Over in Europe this type of cab is used as a sleeper cab, drivers spend up to 2 weeks out on the road in this type of cab, most of them are equipped with 2 beds. This due to much more strict length regulation over here, a standard truck+semi-trailer is 54 feet long, with the standard semi-trailer being 44.5 feet long.
I saw a Hydrogen Nikola today in Long Beach CA . As an otr driver I am absolutely against ev trucks for OTR . They're just unrealistic for OTR use , but you're a truck driver so I don't have to explain the range and charging issue . That said I am ready to jump on board a Hydrogen Nikola once the infrastructure is in place .
My thoughts for a while has been.... why no hybrid trucks? Ice + single axle while out on the highways, electric motors on the rear axle for in town and a boost of traction/power at 100% throttle and adverse conditions.. clears air in town, but get all the range out on the highways? I get its figuring it out how to package it all but to me that would have been a logical step?
1 word: weight. You're adding all of the electronics, drive motors and batteries to an existing truck, so it would reduce the payload by over a ton. Not to mention the added complexity with the drivetrain. It makes sense on cars/vans because the electric-only range can be pretty small. But adding all that weight to a truck, for a small electric only range would not attract many buyers. Pure electric trucks make a LOT of sense though. Instant torque from 0 rpm, less moving parts to service. Could be charged while loading/unloading, or while driver sleeps etc. The Tesla prototype has enough range for a full day's (legal) driving, and 0-60 time is a good indicator of uphill performance. The Tesla demos showed just how much faster it could hit cruising speed than a standard ICE truck (think the ICE was 500hp) with the same load - under 1/2 the time.
Nice video. I have an investment stake in Nikola. Coincidentally, I live about 40 miles from the Nikola Plant located in Coolidge AZ; and I grew up in WNY in the Jamestown area (nearly accepted a job offer from Lockheed in Owego 22 years back). At about the 27 min mark, a mention was made on the operating temperatures being optimal at 20-80 degrees; these Nikola's are going thru a lot of testing in the desert outside of Phoenix in well over 110 degree temps, and from what I know, there is no significant decrease in range. Nikola has been citing 500 mile range.
Pretty funny to see how a european "international" driving truck is called small, the Iveco S-way this truck is based on has a pretty decent sized cab for longhaul, and its a full sleeper cab over here, even the bunk is there, although without the matress
I live in Washington state and I have a mixed fleet of Kenworth, Peterbilt and a couple of Freightliners. All my trucks are permitted for 105,500 pounds I had an opportunity last year to demo the freightliner eCascadia and where I run I have some hills but I have a lot of city driving that we do because we haul ground cover and fill out to the landfill, and while I was able to pull one of my fully loaded trailers and the truck did impress me with how well it was able to get up and go from a dead stop the weight that we were hauling just drained that battery, and like you I do run a lot of walking floors and belt trailers so now I have to factor in having some sort of electric pump set up draining that battery more. so unfortunately I don’t see electric trucks in my near future
Hey Patrick for the stuff you haul i can recommend you to check out Volvos electric stuff they have come rly far whit that here in gothenburg sweden where i live they have an all electric long range truck and trailer that drives cross country for DHL and allsow a fully electric concrete truck dump truck and a dump truck whit a grab crane on it and im sure Volvo northamerica gets the stuff they use from use here in sweden
Ecascadia power and range isn’t compared to a Nikola just saying, but in my opinion transportation of light goods like Walmart amazon and like refined work the BEV works well, but industrial gritty tough work keep that to the diesel guys, you wouldn’t drive a 4x4 G63 AMG to go off-roading right? Haha to each its own but these Nikola trucks are like Ferraris of the class A trucks
@@SaharaA777 I agree. The TRE Nikola tractor actually gets better milage in town with lots of start/stops. The horsepower is phenomenal too, so no trouble pulling the load. Better mpg is the best part though. Just need those battery and H2 refueling stations please...
Let me say I am not a truck driver but I admire all you men and women who bust their tails making a living on the road and having to put up with drivers like me. Anyway I travel on I95 going to a vacation home and at certain times of the year I have been stuck in traffic and haven't moved a mile for 3-4 hours. sometimes in 95 degree heat with a/c on, How would this work in an electric truck. I know you can run out of gas but I leave home with a full tank and have gas stations every 10 miles.
That's where the FCEV will come in... They will have a range of about 600- 700 miles. They run on hydrogen, and will re-fuel in about the same time as a diesel.
They're designed to recharge while the driver is resting. Not sure on the hours in the US, but in the UK it's at least 9 hours, and more often 11+ hours between driving shifts. The infrastructure isn't there yet, but it will be. Also dock-charging will come, so the truck charges during loading/unloading. They charged to 80% or so in a couple of hours. The last 20% takes the time - a lot like EV cars.
In Europe we have only cabs this big. Unfortunately the maximum lenght is restricted, so we cannot build larger sleeper cabs. So basically this is a sleeper cab 😂
@@JamesBond009 There is and there is also the new DAF /Paccar. Thing however is that overall length is limited. The longer the cab, the shorter the trailer will have to be.
Seen those here in Carson California definitely different but mixed feelings about it, might be a good option for local work but over the road diesel is still the one and only option
It's the future that's starting now. Volvo, Mercedes, are available now. The Tesla Semi will start deliveries later this year. Mega-watt chargers are going up, etc. Remember just a few short years ago when the sight of a Tesla was extremely rare? Yeah, technology, and business, moves that fast. And trailers with batteries under the bed for extra range are coming as well.
You said it was technically not a sleeper. A little bonus info is that in Europe that IS a sleeper truck. Legally you can not (at this time) get a bigger sleeper for Long haul, if you want to drive with a normal size trailer. So this is what we are driving. (With diesel though) I can also tell you that the truck that you tested is built on a truck model called Iveco s-way, that is built in France (a part of Fiat) Just a little info from a danish truck driver. And remember "if you got it a trucker brought it ;-)
Well said👍🏻 it is build on base of Iveco S-Way and that behind the seats is call bed where every European trucker is sleeping. Including tires size 315 width except that Europe trucks also have tires on front axle 385 width for better weight distribution. Since continental EU is 40.000 KG and USA is only 36.600 KG gross weight Too bad they don’t install fenders on this trucks since it’s not mandatory by government regulations like the one’s in Europe. Nikola that is gonna be build in Ulm,Germany gonna have full package. Either then that is nice looking truck. Cheers.
I think one major problem will be when your rolling 80,000 lbs. or close to it you won’t get the 270 mile range on low end it will be much lower. Same issue popped up in new electric F150 when going bobtail pick up truck or this Nikola you will get the max range I’m sure but once hooked up to a load and your 60-75,000 lbs. gross you will drop mile range drastically. Will be interesting to see one video with a load being pulled what the computer range will show.
Keep up the good work on your videos.the cab on this truck is the normal for the uk.for us the limit on mileage is to low for normal but for real local work it would probably do.be nice to see one loaded to max and see what it would do in the hands off a normal driver.just my thoughts Graham from uk
It could work long trip if they swapped the battery at stops. There are probably a lot of miles in low hours of running per day in cities and suburbs, if you live in the city or suburb almost all the trucks you see would qualify for electric. Probably 80-90% of the trucks in NY City or Boston could go electric because of the short trips they make.
They would be ok close to town but I wouldn’t want to deal with worrying about the charging on the road And the electric issues they will have because the components will go bad probably sooner than later We have batterie powered equipment in the coal mines I work at and these have been around for years but they have evolved and I just don’t think they will do well on the road
Too early for adoption and I wouldn't dream of them for OTR work for a long time to come unless new battery tech arrives that vastly out performs what we have now.
It has to start somewhere. Eventually it will be a cartridge battery exchange at a truck stop, then pellet batteries, then liquid, then the regular wire plug in will be figured out. Then nuclear reactor power. - The only two downsides to a cab over, to me, are; wind catch with flat nose, and the seat is hanging over the front tires not allow a quality ride that comes from middle of chassis arrangement. Much like a van rides like crap to a driver and rides great to someone sitting back in the 2nd row bench seat. You are on the end of the seesaw and the middle passenger is in the midway point where not much movement happens. But, Europe is usually ahead of USA and they use mostly flat nose. Nikola probably knows the flat nose design will be for what this truck can do….city driving or city to city with needed tight turning radius. They’ll also have a long nose version conventional in the future. Or, just perfect the ride of the cab over.
Hey Justin! A few things about those trucks. So what hapened is that Nikola has a partnership with Iveco and Nikola used the same platform of Iveco's flagship truck, the IVECO S-WAY that were suposed to be offered only in Europe because the law regarding dimensions and wheights at that time. For the US they were going to present primarely an electric version and after a second option with fuel cell electric like their prototype, the Nikola One. I am amazed to see that truck being sold in the USA!!! 😲😲😲 Aparently they change theire minds and went with the European version as a daycab in the US, with the option of electric and fuel cell (in the future) and the American similar truck only with the fuel cell option because of the extended range, the Nikola Two FCEV. If you check Iveco's trucks site you can see that they are the same even to the front grill, so thats why you have that size tyre mounted (most comon in Europe), in fact that really is a sleeper cab for us Europeans and the bed already has a foam mattress. The chassis is proven to be a good one, very strong and reliable about electrics (Nikola) no one knows... Best regards from Portugal. 👍
@@flintcreektransportHey Justin That’s exactly what the other gentleman said above. Iveco Motor Company was created in 1975’ from a merger of 5 groups of companies within Fiat Group: Fiat, OM and Lancia of Italy, Unic of France and Magirus Deutz of Germany. IVECO increased its presence in the truck market still further with the 1990 purchase of Pegaso, a Spanish manufacturer of commercial vehicles. As part of the acquisition, IVECO also gained control of Pegaso’s British truck-making subsidiary, Seddon Atkinson. The 1990s saw further new markets open up for Iveco and its truck products, with the establishment in 1996 of a joint venture with the Yuejin Motor Corporation in China, producing light commercial vehicles under the IVECO brand. The following year, IVECO entered the Latin American market, opening up sales to Brazil. IVECO had also developed considerable presence in the bus and coach markets. In 1999, it was a co-founder, along with Renault, of Irisbus, which resulted from the equal-share merger of the two firms’ interests in the sector. In 2003, IVECO acquired Renault’s share of the Irisbus business. Iveco mother company where all started begins their automotive business in 1899’ as FIAT ( Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino ) it’s a well respected and established company on world stage. I drove the Iveco EuroStar when I was living in Europe. Now in N.America driving classic Pete 😊 I really wouldn’t mind driving this Nikola Hydrogen Electric hear it’s already on market that gives you 500 miles on single fill up. Cheers from Toronto🇨🇦 Mike
This must a local type of truck with a radius of up to 350 miles it has to be 150 miles there and 150 miles back if that’s the case they can keep it because it is not worth the money 💰.
.. any thoughts on their FCEV coming out next year and currently succesfully tested by Anheuser? .. temperature, refueling time, range and all these topics will not be as big of a problem with this version compared to the EV .. and nikola wants to concentrate on the FCEV in the near future .. think the EV is just a gap filler which makes sense in some areas ..
@@flintcreektransport fom talking to them and there OEMs suppliers FCEV have issues esp in USA with weight and axle and wheel weight/loading laws - hence the dealys in developments and production
Seeing as Nikola doesn't have any proprietary fuel cell technology, I can't see how shoving an off-the-shelf fuel cell into a German made truck is a recipe for innovation and success. What is Nikola doing that gives you the idea they are going to succeed in doing something that over 100 other companies have tried in the same fashion for 60 years?
NKLA... Nikola.. Over 100 Clean energy truck deliveries in 2024 and now leading Class 8 zero emissions trucks in North America and in 12 commercial fleets, being tested in many more. Thumbs Up video/ comments as we reach 300 deliveries in 2024. ? Thanks
I love to see your reaction to when you test drive the new Tesla track when it is available - I also know one person that owns a trucking company (he runs 12 Macks) and he can not wait to see the cost savings etc
350 miles? That’s not a good day for me, and I do Dedicated Specialized. I’d have to sit for how long after that? I’d be restricted to what lanes? To me, that kind of truck would only make sense as a local unit. Even then you might need a spare as backup for when you have to charge it.
I'm curious as to how much the charging system would cost in addition to the truck. Secondly, in the salt belt known as NY how would the electronics hold up to the salt water being sprayed on it for half the year?
Thinking the same thing. Also, parts and prices, Cat yellow and John Deere green $$$...No aftermarket for this, I'm sure. They can charge whatever they want. $425,000.00 a truck.
$425,000 minus $185,000 (in NY and CA with other states to soon follow) and minus another $40,000. Courtesy of your state and federal governments. So, $200,000 and no diesel or maintenance costs. There will be a charging fee. You could basically buy the truck and a Mobile Charging Trailer (MCT) for the price of a Peterbilt or Kenworth. This is very viable.
@@DebtPRZ Help yourself. No sales so far like Justin said. Reminds me of Cat getting into the Heavy truck business Class 8 only to go out of business a few years later. NO smart business buys first few years , let someone else have all the problems. No charging stations easily available. ETC Etc. Good luck!!!! Western NY going to eat that truck just like the saltwater does to any boat. Only one supplier for parts $$$ like i said. Still $425,000.00 someone tax $$$ being wasted. Good old Government waste .
@@jamesfeeney7903 - You’re not an early adopter of innovation and that’s okay. You have to do what’s best for you, your business, your customers, etc. I simply wanted to present the facts on the price to the end user. Thanks for your reply.
@@DebtPRZ In Business to make $$$ Retired at 52 years old. Like the hair on my head and not gray. Best of luck to you. You don't know anything about business.
I like the 600 horses plus the 8 airbags suspension pretty interesting truck Justin !!! Downside is the price ! Just put a loaded flatbed and give a shoot
Apparently I passed that truck near Harrisburg on 283. I seen it headed the other direction and thought “is Volvo bring cabovers to the US?” Because it looked like a Volvo at first glance 😂.
It probably looks like a Volvo because a German company made the trucks before Nikola stuck their badge on and pretended to be a manufacturer. Look up Iveco, that's the company that makes the trucks Nikola is taking credit for
That is IVECO S-way truck. IVECO have a long history to making trucks, it's just licensed to Nikola to use the cab. I would like to have one with a 26' box for regional run due to the limited distance per charge.
Explain to me how making minor modifications to a German manufactured BEV truck and selling it as if you had manufactured any part of it is "making big changes"? It's the same as any other IPO scam. Name the tech Nikola has; name one significant patent
Isnt the cab too small for American OTR? I'd work for Europe, but we dont stay out for 3 weeks, with most good companies you are at home every second or 3rd day... It is an European cabover after all.
Jim forgot to show you the underbunk storage and also the 4 exterior side lockers which 2 can accessed from the bunk,.. look good in your company colours.great video, all the best from liverpool England 🏴
Good for short haul of a 100 miles or less and if the electric company will allow many of these trucks on their grid. Have you looked into Hyliion? Long haul and best TCO. Would love to see a video of both and pros and cons of each. This was a great honest video. Thanx.
If you are stuck/not moving in a traffic jam for hours, you won't be using any of the energy in the battery except for heating or cooling the cabin, consequently you will still have almost all of your range you had when you got stopped. If, on the other hand, you are stuck in one of those miles long backups, you will actually use up very little of your range because the electric truck is very efficient at slow speeds, it is the wind resistance at speed that really reduces your range. Put another way, the 350 mile range quoted would be at 65 mph (give or take), if you drive 85 (like in TX) your range is probably going to drop down below 250 miles, however, if you kept the speed at 10 to 15 mph, you might get 500 or 600 miles of range out of the truck. Additionally, if you are stuck in stop and go traffic, and you are smart enough to use regenerative braking, you could actually increase your range by 40% because the kinetic energy you use to stop the truck gets returned to the battery to be used for the "go" portion of stop and go traffic.
Well it’s a cab over, so it’s got that going for it. Drawbacks; just like the cars, is the charge time, and the infrastructure for charging. Another excellent video! Thanks for posting up! Cheers Doc
It would be a cab over if diesel as the cab over the engine. The motor is on rear axle so technically its a cab over electronics.the cab is made for nicola by another company that uses same cab over diesel engine i'm told.
So... You invest in a Fleet of Electric Trucks.. You get the Government incentive to buy the FLEET.. Where do you think this Money comes from? Tell Me one Owner/Operator that got a Government incentive to get into THE BUSINESS? Every Owner/Operator is Financing Every Electric Truck that He competes, with.. The Money doesn't fall out of the sky..
Justin:- You are smart, open-minded, and willing to adapt to new technology. There are many people that are open to change as well, that will be glad to adopt Nikola but there are people that are old, stubborn, and hate the change but doesn't matter, things will change either way and they'll be forced to accept the change AND will be happy at the end. That's what happens with pretty much anything. Govt. isn't stupid that are giving free money for businesses to help adapt this technology similar to what happened with Tesla and now with tracking businesses.
Yes nice video Justin, but that truck is from an Italian company called Iveco, built along with Volvo and yes that is a normal sleeper in Europe, they have a lengthy problem, Truck with trailer muss not exceed over 53 feet long in combination, that is why that is a normal sleeper,.
I understand the idea of having an electric truck is to not use fuel, however I would want to have a good inverter gasoline generator on board. A quiet generator that can run the air conditioning for the cabin and extend the range of the batteries and provide that emergency charging power when you need it most and it's least available. Depending on where vehicles being driven, I wonder if they have trailers covered in solar panels? A plug-in electric is not going to go from New York City to California but a hybrid could do this. What about Pusher trailers with solar panels and battery hauled by a standard vehicle. A trailer with several thousand watts of power to help it down the highway and up the Rocky mountains with regenerative braking going down the mountains. I like the idea of solar powered trailers with control intelligence self-contained to attach to any tractor / truck. Solar panels on the shop where the charging is brings the level of green up, depending on your utility company and the way they handle the tariffs of the power going in and out.
The air conditioner would sit at the top where the window would be, all of our european trucks have a top window, which is equipped with a fly net, if you want an air conditioner there isn't alot you need you just place above where the window would be and you have It
@@Europets2 the '60s Volkswagen van where you sat in front of the front tires had such a device. I'm not sure which was more fun to ride in, the Citrion 2CV mini cargo truck in the back packed with all your friends bouncing down the Autobahn at about 45 mph from Bremerhaven to Bremen and back or the exhilaration of turning a sharp left or right driving the Volkswagen bus with the pop-up fresh air right there by the windshield where it gets the most. As for the heat forget it on both of them. What fun we had then in 1980 in peacetime West Germany where I got to cross over to see on the other side of the wall and it was quite dismal. And now you know the rest of the story, my story based on your positive comments which is what it's all about for me. When it's hot it's hot, and UPS drivers are falling out when it's hot.
I would think that a fuel like Methanol would work perfectly for FCEV with fuel cell working with methanol. A Net Zero fuel that can easily be used all across the U.S.
Big worry ---- road salt. I guess we'll see how all of the EV companies electrical connections hold up in a couple years. The roll away safety feature i this truck is great!!
Can you get double frames How about a P T O for auxiliary components Can you get different wheelbases Your right big guy allot of questions looks like there marketing to linehaul like ups,and fed-x and abf not for our operation but interesting Be Safe !
You people have lost your minds! First have you ever drove a cabover? Hope you have a very good workman comp program with very lucrative out of work policy. Orthopedic doctors will eat you alive. Ergonomics? I can just imagine seeing some drivers swinging their bodies in and out of cabovers. The way drivers of today tail traffic and each other first things on the scene is your legs or feet. Every bump in the road goes right up your spine. Something that happened for years. Why do you think we as drivers ran to conventional. Ask any old timers how hard it was to keep drivers! I remember a comment someone made about the new KW 200E he said it drove like an SUV. I think he had been driving his family van to much. There are places for them. Not in America!
Couldn't figure out the 0-60 , but the unladden Tesla Semi does it in about 5 sec.s, both truck are impressive compared to ICE trucks, a change for the better is coming in the trucking industry, just have to make Fossil addicts change their mindset.Tesla might beat Nikola in price,even with the 500 mile range one.
Designing a Truck that is difficult to get in and out of was a brilliant move for an educated idiot to make. Don't you just love my irreverent sarcasm towards the educated that claim to know better than the rest of us? As a result, you are looking at a potential future OLSHA claim especially for older drivers or drivers who can do the job just fine in a standard truck but not get in and out of this truck. That to me is big negative. Style over function is always bad practice. If you can find an ET.... ET? I wonder if the Trucks will one day phone home? LOL If you can find an ET that has classic ingress and egress then purchasing one to test in your fleet would be a good idea. Doing a real world use test is the only way to determine if the ETs are a good fit for your fleet.
There's 7 down sides with this truck. Range 275 to 325 miles depending on hills, mountains, traffic, A/C. etc., charging ports who carry them, charging times, service centers for this truck, and the price $420, 000 for this? Hell no, when I can get 2 to 3 new class 8 with sleepers for that price. Even though there's incentives on this truck of $100000+, still no way. Warrantee on this truck, will it last as long as the loan on this truck, because once out of warrantee, game over. The batteries. The batteries in Tesla cars are $20000 +, just imagine this beast if the warrantee runs out. So in conclusion this truck is made for local use only, but once they correct those problems it will be good for the road and our pockets if they lower that price.
vouchers in NY up to 185.000 plus another 40.000 . Cost savings in fuel and maintenance? we saw that an ev has at least 50% cost savings compared to an ice . As a new technology , it will be more expensive of course ,until mass production will start . What will u be doing when cities will have the ICE ban in place like here in Europe ? Only who has a ZEV would be allowed to enter .
@@millenium02002 Good point, but 90+% of trucks are diesel now, so they're not going nowhere soon, although in time once tech catches up with the demand and serviceability then it will possibly be more affordable. Charging stations, services stations etc. are not ready for them at least not now. but we will see in the future what will happen. Great points.
350 miles ,Tesla just eclipsed that by 150 miles with its Tesla Semi that went 500 miles from SF to LA., fully loaded 82,000 lbs , watch the Tesla Semi road trip and reveal.
Suckers born every day 350 Mi range that's a the road truck more likely a local truck with the sleeper on it so when you're waiting to charge it up you can rest I wonder if it would even make it from Bakersfield California over the Grapevine into Los Angeles with 80,000 lb no no with 50,000 lb if we switch over to electric trucks just like everything else I will be the last one in it
I am from the netherlands and i am a truckdriver myself, and also drive a coe, a daf, part of paccar..not many trucks with noses here because of the length limitations. But funny that the nikola truck is based on a european iveco s-way..thx for showing..and Electronic trucks are not common here to. Still diesel..
It is a sleeper cab. Imported from Europe. Yes you can get traction tread tires. Those tires allow more weight. I tickled to see they got something besides a pusher. Not the hydrogen they pushed. Not made by Fitzgerald and marketed by Penske. Since electric motors no gear ratio to worry over. Bigger hill,load more pedal use that battery. Is the first one who said how much braking put back to batteries. How long wiring last in your area of high salt? Cost way high but
This country will look a hot Mess with the amount of power supply hook up for semi's and regular cars and trucks. That electric mess will surely be a liability. Why try and do what others do. Once thAt truck shut down with a problem on the road. More lives than ever will be lost. Just listen to the mile average!!! Lol, waste of money
This is the right mindset. Don´t be afraid of new things, get informations, lock at them, test them, see if it saves you good money and be ready in your head when the time is right to shift. Otherwise you will be beaten by your competitors and go out of buisiness.
This is a standard Sleeper Coe in Europe btw. Bc of the overall length of 18 meters that is only allowed in Europe.
So, if you bung up, say, a bumper, on this (or a Tesla), where do you get parts? At least with eventual Freightliner, Volvo, IH, or PACCAR electrics, parts will be available. This same thing happened when CNG was the big shiny new thing. There were a number of journeyman CNG builders, fuel system converters, tank suppliers, and most didn’t last more than a year to two without a dealer network. A better idea is not always the best idea!
maybe you don't call it a sleeper in the states, but in the rest of the world, this is a sleeper cab ;-)
We see lots of opinions from pundits but it's really interesting to see a view on this from someone in the business.
I love cab over flat front
Your right you have to stay on top of technology for your business, it's just a European truck with batteries lol great video Justin
Really? Lol?
So what kind of truck do you wanna See?
A new invented one with Diesel engine burning 30 Liter per 100 km?
@@deluexemusic9172 ....Big Diesel with DCT, two 85mm turbos singing a song of liberty and testosterone, lol.
Not sure this is ahead or behind the times at this moment , the big downside is both the cost of the battery packs and most importantly the unladen weight of the tractor, then there is the charging problem because thats a big investment in the shorterm, like cars the range is short Im not convinced electric is the way to go , in the background hydrogen is comming on in leaps and bounds and im placing my bets on this long term
Did one of those new trucks rode on the New Jersey Turnpike highway yet?🙂
It’s not about saving money, currently in California it cost equivalent to $6 dollars a gallon of diesel to charge an electric vehicle. I’m not against change but the Guinea pig in this hole process is going to drain you as a small business. The only benefactors in this hole process is the dealers and shops.
no cold in North America nothing to worry about there
So why u cant put a heavy alternator to charge or apu ?
First thing that's gotta go, those "drive" tires
These are the type of trucks you see in Brazil or Europe, but they are still diesel there. $250,000 for this cracker box or $250,000 for 389 Pete... hmmmmm..🤔
To make a decent amount of money and a good return on the investment these trucks would need to go at least 600 miles per day between charges and also how much of a help money wise the feds would kick in along with the home state
The one I’d really like to try is their hydrogen powered tractor
He sounds just like a salesman, broad answers, & you pussed out with softball questions. How many service centers, how does heating in winter effect the range, AC in summer effect the range does it have a generator on it, if you take delivery on 1 of those trucks you will be the Ginny pig , they should pay you to run the truck in your fleet or give you a free 1 so you can give a favorable report or not to the public or other fleet. Owners 😊
I touched on some of those questions…. These trucks are made for short haul applications so we just need 1 local service center
@@flintcreektransport - Good job pulling together this video. Softball questions or deep delved interrogative questions, you went out of your way to bring details and information to the people. Much, much respect. 💯
I think you should wait for the fuel cell version which will give you more flexibility, particularly with range.
Fuel cells do make sense for long-haul trucks carrying heavy loads but keep in mind there are only 48 public H2 refill stations to date in the USA and roughly 1000 globally. Nearly all the public H2 stations are in Califorani to date. I am working with an engineering firm on three H2 fueling stations in the Southwest and there are optimistic projections there could be as many as 1000 by 2026 starting with the NFL/NBA cities.
@@Carl_in_AZ A hydrogen highway in Europe from Bergen in Norway to Bolzano in Italy is now well served by h2 stations. A new hydrogen highway from Brisbane to Melbourne (Australia) is now being built up. I suppose a hydrogen highway from San Diego to Vancouver would make a lot of sense as well.
@@lesliecarter4295 I knew that Europe was much further along in H2 than other countries. Australia has electric utility grid issues in the Outback to produce hydrogen. Solar in remote regions would be their best option to produce H2. In the USA shipments from Asia come into the Western state's ports and need to be distributed along the interstates from West to East. The company I work for produces hydrogen fuel cell power trains for use on Scania, Navistar, and Freightliner which offer up to a 300-mile range. The goal is to offer a 600-mile range H2 semi. Keep in mind that diesel semis can average 5 - 7 mpg with 300-gallon tanks.
@@Carl_in_AZ thanks for the insight. The hydrogen economy is being rolled out quietly but effectively for commercial vehicles. They price of hydrogen is also competitive with diesel and getting cheaper. I think you may have a very secure job well into the future. 👍
wait untill you have to buy batteries. and without a jake in the mountains how about burning out brakes. this is going to turn into a nightmare
They have regenerative braking. It will hold back more than a Jake will
350 miles , better hope you can find a charging station ,how many hours added to your journey
I would not have a electric truck I want the real deal
How about pulling a dump bucket?
Not with electric….. u could but you would lose capacity because of weight and still need a wetline
@@flintcreektransport so then they at going to force electric trucks on us but not pulling a dump??? That’s kinda queer…. I run over 400 miles a day with the county I work at in Mississippi and my truck weighs over 98 thousand when loaded….Hummm what is wrong with that picture
Theirs a big plant in AZ for Nikola , I deliver alot parts for those semi trucks , had a chance to see alot of the pre builds , deliver alot of the massive electric expensive axles these truck have pretty crazy to see how it was built and what it comes out to be now fully built pretty impressive
👍🏽
Where about is this truck plant I live in queen creek
350 miles a day doesn't pay the bills, or the drivers pay on those miles would not be much, juries out on this one.
@@rickbareman2263 275 miles reliably but there's not much stopping you putting in more batteries or taking 2-hour lunchbreaks while it charges.
There's one city-city freeway route in the USA it wouldn't make that has no mid-way charge point, somewhere on the west, I forget where (northern California maybe?) but everywhere else is either closer or has charging points.
If you're using your own trailer you could put solar panels on the roof to extend your range.
Good info here. 350 miles on one charge is really a very well estimated guess. Your mileage will vary! Two hours to charge extremely doubtful!These trucks have no history. Could they be as reliable as your standard diesel engine? Time will tell, but it’s a huge gamble for $425,000!
I'm an OTR driver. Guess my biggest concern is charging those trucks. I've heard about these "super chargers" so you're basically hooked up to a power substation while you're sleeping. Makes me slightly nervous, but the trucks are pretty cool and driving a quiet truck for 50 or 60 hours per week would be pretty nice.
It will be a while for OTR, but if you are working out of a shop, I think it could be great.
14:10! Jeez! Don't do that! You get out the same way you got in, meaning with your back facing outward, and using the grab rails. PLEASE NEVER JUMP OUT!
For a european guy like me the cab is pretty familiar, it's from the (diesel powered) Iveco S-Way which you can find all over europe, except for the handbrake buttons, and that Nikola has updated it with digital screens. They have done a nice job with that, Iveco should also put that in their trucks I think, as most manufacturers over here have switched over to completely digital cockpits. Ofcourse the turning circle is not impressive to us as most european trucks have a much shorter wheelbase🙂. The long wheelbase enables to store a lot of battery capacity hence the good range.
Over in Europe this type of cab is used as a sleeper cab, drivers spend up to 2 weeks out on the road in this type of cab, most of them are equipped with 2 beds. This due to much more strict length regulation over here, a standard truck+semi-trailer is 54 feet long, with the standard semi-trailer being 44.5 feet long.
I saw a Hydrogen Nikola today in Long Beach CA . As an otr driver I am absolutely against ev trucks for OTR . They're just unrealistic for OTR use , but you're a truck driver so I don't have to explain the range and charging issue . That said I am ready to jump on board a Hydrogen Nikola once the infrastructure is in place .
These are european "IVECO" trucks, and over here they are pretty cheap and well known for bad electronics and frequent "check engine" lights.
My thoughts for a while has been.... why no hybrid trucks? Ice + single axle while out on the highways, electric motors on the rear axle for in town and a boost of traction/power at 100% throttle and adverse conditions..
clears air in town, but get all the range out on the highways?
I get its figuring it out how to package it all but to me that would have been a logical step?
1 word: weight. You're adding all of the electronics, drive motors and batteries to an existing truck, so it would reduce the payload by over a ton. Not to mention the added complexity with the drivetrain. It makes sense on cars/vans because the electric-only range can be pretty small. But adding all that weight to a truck, for a small electric only range would not attract many buyers.
Pure electric trucks make a LOT of sense though. Instant torque from 0 rpm, less moving parts to service. Could be charged while loading/unloading, or while driver sleeps etc. The Tesla prototype has enough range for a full day's (legal) driving, and 0-60 time is a good indicator of uphill performance. The Tesla demos showed just how much faster it could hit cruising speed than a standard ICE truck (think the ICE was 500hp) with the same load - under 1/2 the time.
Hyliion has a product called the Hybrid EX that does exactly that. The Hypertruck is probably the better product though.
Funny watching people that haven't been in cabovers. You get out backwards easy as.
Interesting..Good to see cab overs again....I will buy one when they cost $8000 bucks like my 1993 IH eagle w/12/.7 Detroit...
Nice video. I have an investment stake in Nikola. Coincidentally, I live about 40 miles from the Nikola Plant located in Coolidge AZ; and I grew up in WNY in the Jamestown area (nearly accepted a job offer from Lockheed in Owego 22 years back). At about the 27 min mark, a mention was made on the operating temperatures being optimal at 20-80 degrees; these Nikola's are going thru a lot of testing in the desert outside of Phoenix in well over 110 degree temps, and from what I know, there is no significant decrease in range. Nikola has been citing 500 mile range.
Interesting. Thankyou for sharing
People keep on making jokes is Nikola truck still gravity powered do you have to push it down a hill
“Investment stake”…. Just say “I bought some shares on Robinhood”
I hope you sold 😂
Tip of the day; sell everything Nicola- and get the winner stock in stead
Pretty funny to see how a european "international" driving truck is called small, the Iveco S-way this truck is based on has a pretty decent sized cab for longhaul, and its a full sleeper cab over here, even the bunk is there, although without the matress
They should have went with Volvo's XXL European COE.
I live in Washington state and I have a mixed fleet of Kenworth, Peterbilt and a couple of Freightliners. All my trucks are permitted for 105,500 pounds I had an opportunity last year to demo the freightliner eCascadia and where I run I have some hills but I have a lot of city driving that we do because we haul ground cover and fill out to the landfill, and while I was able to pull one of my fully loaded trailers and the truck did impress me with how well it was able to get up and go from a dead stop the weight that we were hauling just drained that battery, and like you I do run a lot of walking floors and belt trailers so now I have to factor in having some sort of electric pump set up draining that battery more. so unfortunately I don’t see electric trucks in my near future
Intersting …. That’s the unknown question of what happens when I hook to 100k
Hey Patrick for the stuff you haul i can recommend you to check out Volvos electric stuff they have come rly far whit that here in gothenburg sweden where i live they have an all electric long range truck and trailer that drives cross country for DHL and allsow a fully electric concrete truck dump truck and a dump truck whit a grab crane on it and im sure Volvo northamerica gets the stuff they use from use here in sweden
Ecascadia power and range isn’t compared to a Nikola just saying, but in my opinion transportation of light goods like Walmart amazon and like refined work the BEV works well, but industrial gritty tough work keep that to the diesel guys, you wouldn’t drive a 4x4 G63 AMG to go off-roading right? Haha to each its own but these Nikola trucks are like Ferraris of the class A trucks
@@SaharaA777 I agree. The TRE Nikola tractor actually gets better milage in town with lots of start/stops. The horsepower is phenomenal too, so no trouble pulling the load. Better mpg is the best part though. Just need those battery and H2 refueling stations please...
Let me say I am not a truck driver but I admire all you men and women who bust their tails making a living on the road and having to put up with drivers like me. Anyway I travel on I95 going to a vacation home and at certain times of the year I have been stuck in traffic and haven't moved a mile for 3-4 hours. sometimes in 95 degree heat with a/c on, How would this work in an electric truck. I know you can run out of gas but I leave home with a full tank and have gas stations every 10 miles.
Don’t be concerned about switching over to ETs for over the road. ETs might work locally but need many hours between charges or a battery switch out.
That's where the FCEV will come in... They will have a range of about 600- 700 miles. They run on hydrogen, and will re-fuel in about the same time as a diesel.
They're designed to recharge while the driver is resting. Not sure on the hours in the US, but in the UK it's at least 9 hours, and more often 11+ hours between driving shifts. The infrastructure isn't there yet, but it will be. Also dock-charging will come, so the truck charges during loading/unloading. They charged to 80% or so in a couple of hours. The last 20% takes the time - a lot like EV cars.
The LTL company Saia has been using them here in n phoenix for a while. Pretty slick looking trucks
In Europe we have only cabs this big. Unfortunately the maximum lenght is restricted, so we cannot build larger sleeper cabs. So basically this is a sleeper cab 😂
You've got the Volvo XXL which as a bigger Cab space than this Iveco model they are using for the North American market.
@@JamesBond009 There is and there is also the new DAF /Paccar. Thing however is that overall length is limited. The longer the cab, the shorter the trailer will have to be.
This cab is what UK/Europe use for long distance ("over the road") transport.
The UK is in Europe
Seen those here in Carson California definitely different but mixed feelings about it, might be a good option for local work but over the road diesel is still the one and only option
Small steps. For now, these are all day cabs anyway.
They are very nice German made trucks, indeed. Iveco does a good job making them, now Nikola just needs to sell them for a profit
It's the future that's starting now. Volvo, Mercedes, are available now. The Tesla Semi will start deliveries later this year. Mega-watt chargers are going up, etc. Remember just a few short years ago when the sight of a Tesla was extremely rare? Yeah, technology, and business, moves that fast.
And trailers with batteries under the bed for extra range are coming as well.
As long as they’re not driverless then I’m okay with electric.
You said it was technically not a sleeper.
A little bonus info is that in Europe that IS a sleeper truck. Legally you can not (at this time) get a bigger sleeper for Long haul, if you want to drive with a normal size trailer.
So this is what we are driving. (With diesel though)
I can also tell you that the truck that you tested is built on a truck model called Iveco s-way, that is built in France (a part of Fiat)
Just a little info from a danish truck driver.
And remember "if you got it a trucker brought it ;-)
Well said👍🏻 it is build on base of Iveco S-Way and that behind the seats is call bed where every European trucker is sleeping. Including tires size 315 width except that Europe trucks also have tires on front axle 385 width for better weight distribution. Since continental EU is 40.000 KG and USA is only 36.600 KG gross weight
Too bad they don’t install fenders on this trucks since it’s not mandatory by government regulations like the one’s in Europe. Nikola that is gonna be build in Ulm,Germany gonna have full package. Either then that is nice looking truck.
Cheers.
I would really like to see this truck pulling dubbles loaded with gravel with all the lights on & a/c turned on going 70mph.
You have to learn to walk before you can run. Looks like a good start to a promising future for these vehicles.
I think one major problem will be when your rolling 80,000 lbs. or close to it you won’t get the 270 mile range on low end it will be much lower.
Same issue popped up in new electric F150 when going bobtail pick up truck or this Nikola you will get the max range I’m sure but once hooked up to a load and your 60-75,000 lbs. gross you will drop mile range drastically. Will be interesting to see one video with a load being pulled what the computer range will show.
Their stated range is while fully loaded.
Keep up the good work on your videos.the cab on this truck is the normal for the uk.for us the limit on mileage is to low for normal but for real local work it would probably do.be nice to see one loaded to max and see what it would do in the hands off a normal driver.just my thoughts Graham from uk
And don’t forget having to live in it for a couple days like the drivers did last week in South Buffalo from the major snowstorm and staying warm
Thanks for posting this Justin. This has been my first view of the cutting edge. Just curious how long these trucks have been available.
Hate to tell you that truck is a sleeper same as we drive in eurp
It could work long trip if they swapped the battery at stops. There are probably a lot of miles in low hours of running per day in cities and suburbs, if you live in the city or suburb almost all the trucks you see would qualify for electric. Probably 80-90% of the trucks in NY City or Boston could go electric because of the short trips they make.
The batteries weigh 5,000lbs+... Good luck with that
its coming get one😁
This is good only for urban delivery or last mile runs. The cab over design and the silent drive makes sense in downtown New York/Chicago.
That's a European style truck. That style cabover is common across the pond.
They would be ok close to town but I wouldn’t want to deal with worrying about the charging on the road
And the electric issues they will have because the components will go bad probably sooner than later
We have batterie powered equipment in the coal mines I work at and these have been around for years but they have evolved and I just don’t think they will do well on the road
You should do more videos with the Nikola truck. Thanks for sharing.
Too early for adoption and I wouldn't dream of them for OTR work for a long time to come unless new battery tech arrives that vastly out performs what we have now.
It has to start somewhere. Eventually it will be a cartridge battery exchange at a truck stop, then pellet batteries, then liquid, then the regular wire plug in will be figured out. Then nuclear reactor power. - The only two downsides to a cab over, to me, are; wind catch with flat nose, and the seat is hanging over the front tires not allow a quality ride that comes from middle of chassis arrangement. Much like a van rides like crap to a driver and rides great to someone sitting back in the 2nd row bench seat. You are on the end of the seesaw and the middle passenger is in the midway point where not much movement happens. But, Europe is usually ahead of USA and they use mostly flat nose. Nikola probably knows the flat nose design will be for what this truck can do….city driving or city to city with needed tight turning radius. They’ll also have a long nose version conventional in the future. Or, just perfect the ride of the cab over.
Hey Justin!
A few things about those trucks. So what hapened is that Nikola has a partnership with Iveco and Nikola used the same platform of Iveco's flagship truck, the IVECO S-WAY that were suposed to be offered only in Europe because the law regarding dimensions and wheights at that time.
For the US they were going to present primarely an electric version and after a second option with fuel cell electric like their prototype, the Nikola One.
I am amazed to see that truck being sold in the USA!!! 😲😲😲
Aparently they change theire minds and went with the European version as a daycab in the US, with the option of electric and fuel cell (in the future) and the American similar truck only with the fuel cell option because of the extended range, the Nikola Two FCEV.
If you check Iveco's trucks site you can see that they are the same even to the front grill, so thats why you have that size tyre mounted (most comon in Europe), in fact that really is a sleeper cab for us Europeans and the bed already has a foam mattress. The chassis is proven to be a good one, very strong and reliable about electrics (Nikola) no one knows...
Best regards from Portugal. 👍
Interesting !!!
@@flintcreektransportHey Justin
That’s exactly what the other gentleman said above.
Iveco Motor Company was created in 1975’ from a merger of 5 groups of companies within Fiat Group: Fiat, OM and Lancia of Italy, Unic of France and Magirus Deutz of Germany.
IVECO increased its presence in the truck market still further with the 1990 purchase of Pegaso, a Spanish manufacturer of commercial vehicles. As part of the acquisition, IVECO also gained control of Pegaso’s British truck-making subsidiary, Seddon Atkinson.
The 1990s saw further new markets open up for Iveco and its truck products, with the establishment in 1996 of a joint venture with the Yuejin Motor Corporation in China, producing light commercial vehicles under the IVECO brand. The following year, IVECO entered the Latin American market, opening up sales to Brazil.
IVECO had also developed considerable presence in the bus and coach markets. In 1999, it was a co-founder, along with Renault, of Irisbus, which resulted from the equal-share merger of the two firms’ interests in the sector. In 2003, IVECO acquired Renault’s share of the Irisbus business.
Iveco mother company where all started begins their automotive business in 1899’ as FIAT ( Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino ) it’s a well respected and established company on world stage.
I drove the Iveco EuroStar when I was living in Europe. Now in N.America driving classic Pete 😊 I really wouldn’t mind driving this Nikola Hydrogen Electric hear it’s already on market that gives you 500 miles on single fill up. Cheers from Toronto🇨🇦 Mike
This must a local type of truck with a radius of up to 350 miles it has to be 150 miles there and 150 miles back if that’s the case they can keep it because it is not worth the money 💰.
My thing is that the truck will only get up to 350 miles what if you have a load that goes 600 miles then what also where a to go to get recharged
J GOOD TEST FOR ME, HOOK IT UP TOO 40YD DUMP TRAILER, LOADED WITH STONE BLEND!
👌🏽
.. any thoughts on their FCEV coming out next year and currently succesfully tested by Anheuser? .. temperature, refueling time, range and all these topics will not be as big of a problem with this version compared to the EV .. and nikola wants to concentrate on the FCEV in the near future .. think the EV is just a gap filler which makes sense in some areas ..
They are not releasing much info on those except for much longer range ….
@@flintcreektransport fom talking to them and there OEMs suppliers FCEV have issues esp in USA with weight and axle and wheel weight/loading laws - hence the dealys in developments and production
Seeing as Nikola doesn't have any proprietary fuel cell technology, I can't see how shoving an off-the-shelf fuel cell into a German made truck is a recipe for innovation and success. What is Nikola doing that gives you the idea they are going to succeed in doing something that over 100 other companies have tried in the same fashion for 60 years?
NKLA... Nikola.. Over 100 Clean energy truck deliveries in 2024 and now leading Class 8 zero emissions trucks in North America and in 12 commercial fleets, being tested in many more. Thumbs Up video/ comments as we reach 300 deliveries in 2024. ? Thanks
I love to see your reaction to when you test drive the new Tesla track when it is available - I also know one person that owns a trucking company (he runs 12 Macks) and he can not wait to see the cost savings etc
And immediately brokers and shippers will lower rates!!!
350 miles? That’s not a good day for me, and I do Dedicated Specialized. I’d have to sit for how long after that? I’d be restricted to what lanes? To me, that kind of truck would only make sense as a local unit. Even then you might need a spare as backup for when you have to charge it.
I'm curious as to how much the charging system would cost in addition to the truck. Secondly, in the salt belt known as NY how would the electronics hold up to the salt water being sprayed on it for half the year?
Thinking the same thing. Also, parts and prices, Cat yellow and John Deere green $$$...No aftermarket for this, I'm sure. They can charge whatever they want. $425,000.00 a truck.
$425,000 minus $185,000 (in NY and CA with other states to soon follow) and minus another $40,000. Courtesy of your state and federal governments. So, $200,000 and no diesel or maintenance costs. There will be a charging fee. You could basically buy the truck and a Mobile Charging Trailer (MCT) for the price of a Peterbilt or Kenworth. This is very viable.
@@DebtPRZ Help yourself. No sales so far like Justin said. Reminds me of Cat getting into the Heavy truck business Class 8 only to go out of business a few years later. NO smart business buys first few years , let someone else have all the problems. No charging stations easily available. ETC Etc. Good luck!!!! Western NY going to eat that truck just like the saltwater does to any boat. Only one supplier for parts $$$ like i
said. Still $425,000.00 someone tax $$$ being wasted. Good old Government waste
.
@@jamesfeeney7903 - You’re not an early adopter of innovation and that’s okay. You have to do what’s best for you, your business, your customers, etc. I simply wanted to present the facts on the price to the end user.
Thanks for your reply.
@@DebtPRZ In Business to make $$$ Retired at 52 years old. Like the hair on my head and not gray. Best of luck to you. You don't know anything about business.
I like the 600 horses plus the 8 airbags suspension pretty interesting truck Justin !!! Downside is the price ! Just put a loaded flatbed and give a shoot
Nice to go for test drive what about testing it with a trailer and why do they not have drive tires on it
Apparently I passed that truck near Harrisburg on 283. I seen it headed the other direction and thought “is Volvo bring cabovers to the US?” Because it looked like a Volvo at first glance 😂.
It probably looks like a Volvo because a German company made the trucks before Nikola stuck their badge on and pretended to be a manufacturer. Look up Iveco, that's the company that makes the trucks Nikola is taking credit for
That is IVECO S-way truck. IVECO have a long history to making trucks, it's just licensed to Nikola to use the cab. I would like to have one with a 26' box for regional run due to the limited distance per charge.
Nikola are making big changes to the industry, I would definitely consider at least a few trucks if you are concerned.
Explain to me how making minor modifications to a German manufactured BEV truck and selling it as if you had manufactured any part of it is "making big changes"? It's the same as any other IPO scam. Name the tech Nikola has; name one significant patent
@@xraceboyex they have plenty and you should read their patent portfolio.
Isnt the cab too small for American OTR? I'd work for Europe, but we dont stay out for 3 weeks, with most good companies you are at home every second or 3rd day... It is an European cabover after all.
Jim forgot to show you the underbunk storage and also the 4 exterior side lockers which 2 can accessed from the bunk,.. look good in your company colours.great video, all the best from liverpool England 🏴
This will be a LOT easier parking at most of the Pilot truck stops around the country. If you know, you know. :-)
Hydrogen fuel cell make far more sense for semi-trucks not only in the range they would have, the refueling time and the much lower payload deduction.
Good for short haul of a 100 miles or less and if the electric company will allow many of these trucks on their grid. Have you looked into Hyliion? Long haul and best TCO. Would love to see a video of both and pros and cons of each. This was a great honest video. Thanx.
Never heard of that brand …. I’ll have to check it out ….
Great video, did you by any chance hear and test drive Hyliion ERX. I would love to hear your feedback.
Not yet. Not familiar with those
I work a lot with international an they are doing electrical trucks an buses now
Beautiful truck. You should definitely buy a couple
ITS COMING!!!!!!! ITS HERE!!!
Great stuff.... Proud of y'all 😀😀
what about when your stuck in the snow on a mountain ,spinning using ip more battery, or stuck in an accident for hours?
If you are stuck/not moving in a traffic jam for hours, you won't be using any of the energy in the battery except for heating or cooling the cabin, consequently you will still have almost all of your range you had when you got stopped. If, on the other hand, you are stuck in one of those miles long backups, you will actually use up very little of your range because the electric truck is very efficient at slow speeds, it is the wind resistance at speed that really reduces your range. Put another way, the 350 mile range quoted would be at 65 mph (give or take), if you drive 85 (like in TX) your range is probably going to drop down below 250 miles, however, if you kept the speed at 10 to 15 mph, you might get 500 or 600 miles of range out of the truck. Additionally, if you are stuck in stop and go traffic, and you are smart enough to use regenerative braking, you could actually increase your range by 40% because the kinetic energy you use to stop the truck gets returned to the battery to be used for the "go" portion of stop and go traffic.
The eight bag air suspension I sure hope it’s not like the KW one you get stuck on a ounce of sand it seemed
Well it’s a cab over, so it’s got that going for it. Drawbacks; just like the cars, is the charge time, and the infrastructure for charging.
Another excellent video!
Thanks for posting up!
Cheers
Doc
It would be a cab over if diesel as the cab over the engine.
The motor is on rear axle so technically its a cab over electronics.the cab is made for nicola by another company that uses same cab over diesel engine i'm told.
So... You invest in a Fleet of Electric Trucks.. You get the Government incentive to buy the FLEET.. Where do you think this Money comes from? Tell Me one Owner/Operator that got a Government incentive to get into THE BUSINESS? Every Owner/Operator is Financing Every Electric Truck that He competes, with.. The Money doesn't fall out of the sky..
Justin:- You are smart, open-minded, and willing to adapt to new technology. There are many people that are open to change as well, that will be glad to adopt Nikola but there are people that are old, stubborn, and hate the change but doesn't matter, things will change either way and they'll be forced to accept the change AND will be happy at the end. That's what happens with pretty much anything. Govt. isn't stupid that are giving free money for businesses to help adapt this technology similar to what happened with Tesla and now with tracking businesses.
Yes nice video Justin, but that truck is from an Italian company called Iveco, built along with Volvo and yes that is a normal sleeper in Europe, they have a lengthy problem, Truck with trailer muss not exceed over 53 feet long in combination, that is why that is a normal sleeper,.
I understand the idea of having an electric truck is to not use fuel, however I would want to have a good inverter gasoline generator on board. A quiet generator that can run the air conditioning for the cabin and extend the range of the batteries and provide that emergency charging power when you need it most and it's least available. Depending on where vehicles being driven, I wonder if they have trailers covered in solar panels? A plug-in electric is not going to go from New York City to California but a hybrid could do this. What about Pusher trailers with solar panels and battery hauled by a standard vehicle. A trailer with several thousand watts of power to help it down the highway and up the Rocky mountains with regenerative braking going down the mountains. I like the idea of solar powered trailers with control intelligence self-contained to attach to any tractor / truck. Solar panels on the shop where the charging is brings the level of green up, depending on your utility company and the way they handle the tariffs of the power going in and out.
The air conditioner would sit at the top where the window would be, all of our european trucks have a top window, which is equipped with a fly net, if you want an air conditioner there isn't alot you need you just place above where the window would be and you have It
@@Europets2 the '60s Volkswagen van where you sat in front of the front tires had such a device. I'm not sure which was more fun to ride in, the Citrion 2CV mini cargo truck in the back packed with all your friends bouncing down the Autobahn at about 45 mph from Bremerhaven to Bremen and back or the exhilaration of turning a sharp left or right driving the Volkswagen bus with the pop-up fresh air right there by the windshield where it gets the most. As for the heat forget it on both of them. What fun we had then in 1980 in peacetime West Germany where I got to cross over to see on the other side of the wall and it was quite dismal. And now you know the rest of the story, my story based on your positive comments which is what it's all about for me. When it's hot it's hot, and UPS drivers are falling out when it's hot.
I would think that a fuel like Methanol would work perfectly for FCEV with fuel cell working with methanol. A Net Zero fuel that can easily be used all across the U.S.
Big worry ---- road salt. I guess we'll see how all of the EV companies electrical connections hold up in a couple years.
The roll away safety feature i this truck is great!!
Can you get double frames
How about a P T O for auxiliary components
Can you get different wheelbases
Your right big guy allot of questions looks like there marketing to linehaul like ups,and fed-x and abf not for our operation but interesting
Be Safe !
You people have lost your minds! First have you ever drove a cabover? Hope you have a very good workman comp program with very lucrative out of work policy. Orthopedic doctors will eat you alive. Ergonomics? I can just imagine seeing some drivers swinging their bodies in and out of cabovers. The way drivers of today tail traffic and each other first things on the scene is your legs or feet. Every bump in the road goes right up your spine. Something that happened for years. Why do you think we as drivers ran to conventional. Ask any old timers how hard it was to keep drivers! I remember a comment someone made about the new KW 200E he said it drove like an SUV. I think he had been driving his family van to much. There are places for them. Not in America!
One of those drive tires detreads and those tanks between the axles are going to take a beating.
we would like to seethe batery cofiguration
Couldn't figure out the 0-60 , but the unladden Tesla Semi does it in about 5 sec.s, both truck are impressive compared to ICE trucks, a change for the better is coming in the trucking industry, just have to make Fossil addicts change their mindset.Tesla might beat Nikola in price,even with the 500 mile range one.
Great in-depth down to earth video I'd love to test drive one of these but I'm pretty sure there are no dealers in the Allentown Pennsylvania area.
I think they have a location close to the city. Call them and check
Designing a Truck that is difficult to get in and out of
was a brilliant move for an educated idiot to make.
Don't you just love my irreverent sarcasm towards
the educated that claim to know better than the rest
of us?
As a result, you are looking at a potential future
OLSHA claim especially for older drivers or drivers
who can do the job just fine in a standard truck but
not get in and out of this truck. That to me is big negative.
Style over function is always bad practice.
If you can find an ET....
ET?
I wonder if the Trucks will one day phone home?
LOL
If you can find an ET that has classic ingress and egress
then purchasing one to test in your fleet would be a
good idea. Doing a real world use test is the only way
to determine if the ETs are a good fit for your fleet.
There's 7 down sides with this truck. Range 275 to 325 miles depending on hills, mountains, traffic, A/C. etc., charging ports who carry them, charging times, service centers for this truck, and the price $420, 000 for this? Hell no, when I can get 2 to 3 new class 8 with sleepers for that price. Even though there's incentives on this truck of $100000+, still no way. Warrantee on this truck, will it last as long as the loan on this truck, because once out of warrantee, game over. The batteries. The batteries in Tesla cars are $20000 +, just imagine this beast if the warrantee runs out. So in conclusion this truck is made for local use only, but once they correct those problems it will be good for the road and our pockets if they lower that price.
vouchers in NY up to 185.000 plus another 40.000 . Cost savings in fuel and maintenance? we saw that an ev has at least 50% cost savings compared to an ice .
As a new technology , it will be more expensive of course ,until mass production will start .
What will u be doing when cities will have the ICE ban in place like here in Europe ? Only who has a ZEV would be allowed to enter .
@@millenium02002 Good point, but 90+% of trucks are diesel now, so they're not going nowhere soon, although in time once tech catches up with the demand and serviceability then it will possibly be more affordable. Charging stations, services stations etc. are not ready for them at least not now. but we will see in the future what will happen. Great points.
Good thoughts….. unfortunately I think diesel will be going away …..
IMENSE RESPECT FOR YOU TO HAVE COURAGE FOR CHANGE..
350 miles ,Tesla just eclipsed that by 150 miles with its Tesla Semi that went 500 miles from SF to LA., fully loaded 82,000 lbs , watch the Tesla Semi road trip and reveal.
Suckers born every day 350 Mi range that's a the road truck more likely a local truck with the sleeper on it so when you're waiting to charge it up you can rest
I wonder if it would even make it from Bakersfield California over the Grapevine into Los Angeles with 80,000 lb no no with 50,000 lb if we switch over to electric trucks just like everything else I will be the last one in it
I am from the netherlands and i am a truckdriver myself, and also drive a coe, a daf, part of paccar..not many trucks with noses here because of the length limitations. But funny that the nikola truck is based on a european iveco s-way..thx for showing..and Electronic trucks are not common here to. Still diesel..
It is a sleeper cab. Imported from Europe. Yes you can get traction tread tires. Those tires allow more weight.
I tickled to see they got something besides a pusher.
Not the hydrogen they pushed. Not made by Fitzgerald and marketed by Penske.
Since electric motors no gear ratio to worry over. Bigger hill,load more pedal use that battery.
Is the first one who said how much braking put back to batteries.
How long wiring last in your area of high salt?
Cost way high but
This country will look a hot Mess with the amount of power supply hook up for semi's and regular cars and trucks. That electric mess will surely be a liability. Why try and do what others do. Once thAt truck shut down with a problem on the road. More lives than ever will be lost. Just listen to the mile average!!! Lol, waste of money