The Nikola One – a hydrogen fuel cell truck its makers believe will revolutionise the trucking industry with appealing range and power – has been revealed at a special launch event in Utah.
It uses a fuel cell producing 200kW energy for the 320kWh battery pack, and Nikola claims it has 1,000bhp and 2,711Nm of torque. The large hydrogen tanks imply a claimed range of 800 – 1,200 miles depending on specification, and ought to the fuel cell fail it can travel over 100 miles on the batteries alone. Regenerative braking and the truck’s reliatively light weight implies it has practically double the stopping power of a regular semi truck. 
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With the 1,200 mile range, the One comes with fuel economy equivalent to around 15mpg – easily much more than the 5-7mpg achieved by many trucks in America.
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As a company, Nikola motors plans to be 100 per cent emissions totally free in North America. The hydrogen powering the trucks will be generated through a nationwide network of zero emission solar farms, which the company says be built from January 2018 onwards. These will feed a network of over 56 initial hydrogen stations by 2020, with plans for 364 in the future, ensuring the Nikola trucks can get anywhere they need to across the US.
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The distinct powertrain implies that the Nikola One benefits from a much lower centre of gravity than a regular truck, as well as a much more spacious cab with greater visibility. Inside, there’s clearly been inspiration from Tesla, as the One has a huge, 15-inch portrait-style touchscreen to control many of its features. Sleeper amenities will include one or teo full size beds, 4K televisions, on-board 4G Wi-Fi plus a full size fridge and freezer.