Nikola Corporation and WattEV, a Long Beach-based developer of charging infrastructure for heavy-duty trucks and provider of electric trucks as a service (TaaS), have announced the sale and delivery of 14 Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).
The sale is being financed with a long-term lease between Mitsubishi HC Capital America and WattEV.
WattEV is building public charging depots to serve fleets of commercial BEVs and provides TaaS to meet the needs of shippers and fleet operators committed to meeting California’s mandates towards zero-emissions. The first of four charging depots in Southern California will open for service at the Port of Long Beach in May 2023.
“We anticipate the availability of WattEV’s charging depots will play a significant role in industry adoption and provide customers with immediate zero-emission solutions,” said Michael Lohscheller, President and CEO, Nikola Corporation.
The Nikola Tre BEV is eligible for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) program funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). With this approval, purchasers of the BEV can now qualify for an incentive valued at $120,000 per truck, and up to $150,000 for drayage fleets, helping to reduce the total cost of ownership for any purchaser operating in the state of California.
The Nikola Tre BEV has a range of up to 330 miles and is expected to have the longest range among the current HVIP eligible Class 8 tractors. “We have been running a pilot test with Nikola battery-electric trucks for the past six months and are quite satisfied with the energy efficiency of the trucks and the ongoing technical support,” said WattEV CEO Salim Youssefzadeh.
