Could commercial vehicles lead the way to the hydrogen highway?
Developer Utah-based Nikola Motor thinks so, recently unveiling a long-haul commercial truck powered by a hydrogen fuel cell with a range of up to 1,200 miles (1,900 km).
The plan, according to a story by Wired magazine, is to lease the Nikola One trucks beginning in 2020 for about $5,000-$7,000 per month, including free fuel, which would be supplied by a network of proprietary refilling stations placed strategically along high-traveled transport routes.
Nikola CEO Trevor Milton believes 364 filling stations across the U.S. and positioned about 400 miles (640 km) apart would do the job.
Automakers are likely to think it’s a great idea, because it would help establish a hydrogen-fueling infrastructure that would help pave the way for the rollout of fuel-cell passenger vehicles in bigger numbers.
“We’re all about proliferation of hydrogen as a fuel,” says Toyota spokesperson tells Wired.
Jim Mele, editor-in-chief of Fleet Owner magazine, says truckers might be a tough sell when it comes to making the switch to fuel-cell power.
“Reliability’s a huge thing,” Mele tells Wired. “People would be cautious about it.”
