Phoenix electric-truck maker Nikola Corp. claims 'game-changing' battery advancements

Nikola Corp., the upstart manufacturer of zero-emission heavy trucks and other vehicles, claims to have achieved "game-changing" advancements in battery-cell technology that will enable its hydrogen-electric trucks to drive farther between charges for lower cost and with reduced environmental impact.

The Phoenix-based company, which plans to begin commercial truck production at a plant in central Arizona in 2022, said it has created the world's first free-standing electrode automotive battery, with heightened "energy density" or storage capacity.

The factory, in Coolidge, could employ more than 3,000 people. It is scheduled to break ground near the middle of next year.

After 800 cycles or charges, a conventional lithium-ion battery will be degraded, Trevor Milton, Nikola's CEO and founder, said in an interview Tuesday. But the company's newly developed battery can hit 2,000 cycles, which translates to about 1 million truck miles driven over seven to eight years of typical use, he said.

Large, fully loaded electric trucks powered by Nikola's prototype battery could drive 800 miles between charges, while trucks powered by its new hydrogen-electric fuel cells could travel 1,000 miles between stops and can be refueled with hydrogen in 15 minutes.

The privately held company claims to have $14 billion of hydrogen-electric truck reservations from customers including Anheuser-Busch and US Xpress. "It will take us 10 years to get caught up" fulfilling those orders, Milton said.

The company plans to unveil the new battery technology in greater detail at its Nikola World 2020 demonstration. This year's event was held in Scottsdale in April. The venue and date of next year's conference have yet to be announced.

Longer range, no emissions

The technology also could extend the range of existing electric passenger cars to 600 miles from around 300 miles, with little or no increase in battery size and weight, though Milton said Nikola won't engage in passenger-vehicle production.

However, the company does plan to share the intellectual property with other manufacturers, including automakers, that pay to be part of a licensing consortium.

"Our goal is to eliminate emissions around the globe," Milton said. "But we can't do it all by ourselves."

According to Nikola, the company's batteries are lighter, less expensive to produce and less prone to short-circuiting (which can start fires) compared to conventional lithium-ion battery cells. Also, their components are easy to recycle and more environmentally friendly for landfills because they don't contain toxic elements such as nickel, cobalt, magnesium and aluminum, Milton said.

Eliminating those components also makes for less-expensive production, he said.

To bring the new battery closer to production, Nikola is purchasing a company with approximately 20 key employees, including 15 battery engineers with doctorate degrees and five with master's degrees. They will not be headquartered in Phoenix, Milton said, who didn't name the company.

By year-end, Nikola will employ around 240 people in Phoenix, at its headquarters and testing center south of Sky Harbor International Airport, Milton said.

Big, bold promises

Nikola, a company just six years old, has upended the automotive world with its claims of higher-powered, less expensive, more environmentally friendly batteries and other technology.

In an interview, Milton conceded the claims might seem far-fetched.

However, "everything we've ever promised, we have delivered on," he said.

That has included the world's largest hydrogen fueling station, at the company's Phoenix headquarters, the most advanced fuel-cell heavy truck and the most advanced off-road vehicles, also powered by zero-emissions technology.

Among other ventures, the company is developing all-electric off-road vehicles, jet skis and Hummer-like military vehicles, and it plans to develop a North American network of hydrogen fueling stations.

"We've made claims that seem crazy, but we've lived up to every one of them," Milton said while transitioning to another one: "We've made the biggest impact on zero-emissions compared to anyone in the world."

At least some big investors seem to agree: Industrial companies Bosch, Hanwha and CNH Industrial in recent weeks have announced investments totaling $100 million or more each in Nikola.

Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8616.