Troubled hydrogen fuel cell vehicle company Nikola Corporation, has announced it has signed a licence agreement with German global components giant Bosch Group, to build Bosch fuel-cell power modules at Nikola’s Coolidge facility in Arizona.
The agreements will see Nikola adapt fuel-cell power modules for use in its Tre model in Europe and its Two in the USA.
Under the agreements, Bosch will supply both fully assembled fuel-cell power modules as well as major components to Nikola, including the fuel-cell stack, to be assembled at the Coolidge manufacturing facility.
The announcement says that the two companies will work together to source the remaining components for the assemblies.
“Nikola and Bosch have defined together a scalable and modular approach for the Nikola Tre and Two truck applications based upon use of multiple fuel-cell power modules utilizing the Bosch heavy-duty commercial vehicle fuel-cell stack,” the announcement said.
The fuel-cell power modules are expected to be launched in 2023, with the heavy duty Class 8 regional-haul Nikola Tre FCEV.
Nikola said it anticipates that the overall vehicle design will result in a range of up to approximately 800 km on a tank of hydrogen.
Nikola said it plans to further expand capacity for use in its Class 8 long-haul Nikola Two FCEV with a claimed anticipated range of up to approximately 1400 km.
The company said it planned to utilise common fuel-cell power modules in 200 kW and 300 kW configurations in the vehicles and that the fuel-cell power modules and components are being designed and validated for the demands of commercial vehicle power.
The Nikola Tre FCEV will be launched in the EU, utilising the same fuel-cell power modules supporting vehicle manufacturing planned at Nikola’s joint venture with Iveco in Ulm, Germany.
Nikola has also announced an expansion of its truck sales and service coverage in the USA with the addition of a major truck dealer group in Central and Southern California as the troubled FCEV maker continues to try to overcome the damage inflicted by claims it faked truck test videos and in the wake of the indictment of its former chair and founder on three corporate fraud charges, Trevor Milton.
The agreement with Quinn Company, will see the addition of Nikola sales and service facilities across 15 counties in California, America’s largest and most demanding zero emission vehicle market.
