Nikola Corporation, E.ON, and Richter Group have announced a letter of intent for an initial order of 20, heavy-duty Nikola Tre hydrogen electric vehicles and the hydrogen needed to supply them. The partnership aims to decarbonise the logistics industry in Europe by providing hydrogen electric trucks, green hydrogen, and the refuelling infrastructure through a joint venture.
Richter Group, a provider of logistics services based in Germany, currently owns a fleet of over 160 diesel-powered trucks. The initial order of 20 Nikola Tre hydrogen electric trucks is expected to be delivered to Richter Group in 2024, and the company plans to transition its entire fleet to Nikola Tre hydrogen electric trucks over the next four to five years. The company also plans to work with its logistics partners to transition fleets to Nikola’s zero-emission vehicles, which could equate to an additional 750 hydrogen electric trucks within the same timeframe.
The Nikola Tre hydrogen electric trucks will be manufactured by the joint venture between Nikola and Iveco Group at their facility in Ulm, Germany. The vehicles will be supplied through GATE - Green & Advanced Transport Ecosystem, Iveco’s all-inclusive electric truck rental model. Iveco will provide the essential maintenance and service functions.
E.ON will provide Richter Group with green hydrogen and develop the refuelling infrastructure to meet the needs of the hydrogen electric vehicles brought to market. The first refuelling solution within the scope of this project will be located on the premises of Richter Group in Wesel, Germany. Both hydrogen supply and logistics will be supplied through the Nikola and E.ON joint venture once it is officially established.
With a range of up to 800km, the Nikola Tre hydrogen electric truck is expected to have among the longest ranges of all commercially available zero tailpipe emission Class 8 trucks while realising weight savings when compared to battery-electric Class 8 trucks with similar range. The Tre hydrogen electric truck is well-suited for a variety of applications ranging from drayage and intermodal to metro-regional truckload and less than truckload to certain specialized hauling use cases.
Michael Lohscheller, President and CEO of Nikola Corporation, said, “The commitment from Richter Group is another example of how Nikola and E.ON are playing an essential role in helping Germany achieve the goal of decarbonising the transportation sector. Implementing the initial order of 20 heavy-duty zero-emission trucks in place of existing diesel trucks equates to avoiding the annual CO2 emissions from approximately 600 passenger cars.”
Sylvio Richter, founder and CEO of Richter Group, said, “We plan to introduce the Nikola hydrogen electric trucks and other services of Nikola and E.ON to many of our partners to further promote and grow decarbonisation efforts in the European heavy-duty transport sector. This Letter of Intent is just the beginning. Through our technology subsidiary Sundronix GmbH, Richter Group will be working with Nikola and E.ON on technological solutions for the design and construction of a 700-bar refuelling infrastructure, hydrogen transport logistics, and hydrogen supply.”
