Could this really be happening? Is it is possible the Nikola One is something more than just vaporware? In this fast page age of ours product announcements come and go in the blink of an eye. It’s rather easy to create a 3D rendering of a proposed product and claim that it’s ready for the consumer marketplace. In the past there have been many instances of potentially ground breaking vehicles that have never made it past the press release stage and I solidly pegged the Nikola One as one of these soon to be blueprint only beauties. That was until I saw the picture below.
Recently unveiled before 600 guests, this U.S. Xpress badged Nikola One has made the difficult jump from the drawing board to reality. I have no idea how functional the truck shown above is but that fact that it exists is more than enough to raise an eyebrow or two. Capable of travelling 1,200 on one charge, traverse a 6% grade (loaded presumably) while maintaining a 65 miles per hour speed are just two of the stats indicating this truck could be a potential game changer. With no conventional powertrain so to speak of the Nikola One weighs about 2,000 pounds less than a traditional semi truck. This weight savings translates to increased payload capacity which in turn increases profitability.
Transportation juggernaut Ryder Systems will be the exclusive distribution and maintenance provider. The physical construction of each truck will be done by industry leading glider manufacturing, Fitzgerald Truck Parts and Sales. These are two big names in the truck world and certainly lead me to believe we are closer to see this truck on the road then we are to not seeing it. Check out the full story at Transport Topics by clicking here.