Phoenix, Ariz.-based Nikola Motor Co., a maker of heavy-duty electric and hydrogen electric powertrains, has signed a $16 million order to purchase equipment for the first phase of its fuel cell development laboratory.
The order represents the initial installment in an overall investment plan that totals several hundred million dollars, says the company, which will reveal more details about the facility at its Nikola World event, being held April 16-17 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“It is critical that we move fast and have the best equipment as part of our truck development process,” states Mark Russell, Nikola Motor Co.’s president. “By creating our own facility, Nikola will be able to test and validate its fuel cell components in half the time it would take other OEMs and third-party labs.”
