Yahoo Autos This Startup Wants to Build a 2000-hp Turbine-Powered Hybrid Big Rig
A quick glance at the spec sheet of the Nikola One reads like a vaporware hypercar startup: An all-wheel-drive electric screamer putting 2000 horsepower and 3700 lb.-ft. of torque to the ground, powered by a natural gas turbine generator. But the thing is, the Nikola One concept isn't a hypercar. It's a tractor trailer.
Nikola Motor Company (named, assumedly, for early 20th-century electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla) clearly wants to revolutionize heavy trucking. The startup says the One will have up to 1200 miles of range per tank of natural gas, nearly double that of a conventional diesel-powered big rig. It will also be able to climb a 6 percent incline at 65 mph and get 10-15 mpg, Nikola's website claims.
Hypothetically, a turbine-hybrid big rig makes sense. The instant, zero-RPM torque provided by electric motors would be perfect for hauling heavy loads without complex gear reduction, and freeing the fossil fuel engine from driving duty makes for a more energy efficient system (which is why most train locomotives are diesel-electrics). If the company's figures are to be believed, trading diesel for electric power would even make the Nikola One accelerate twice as quickly as a conventional truck.
With electric motors at all six wheels, the concept truck even claims to offer active torque vectoring. That means better traction, better cornering, and better braking. And with the diesel engine gone, Nikola created a more aerodynamic design that offers much better visibility from the driver's seat, as well as 30 percent more interior space than a regular truck, with room for two full-size beds, a closet, a real refrigerator and freezer, a microwave, a 40-inch TV, and more.
Did we mention the free fuel? Nikola says the first 5000 buyers will receive one million miles of free fuel. For later customers, Nikola plans to offer fuel at $1.50 per gallon, at one of 50 of its own CNG refueling stations across the country. Apparently, Nikola owns (or plans to acquire) its own private natural gas wells, hoping cut out the middle man and sell affordable fuel directly to Nikola One owners.
If all that wasn't enough, Nikola also hopes to build an all-electric side-by-side ATV called the Zero to take on the likes of the Polaris RZR 1000 Turbo and the Can-Am Maverick Turbo. Nikola claims the Zero will have up to a 150-mile range, cranking out 520 horsepower and 476 lb.-ft. of torque. With 20 inches of suspension travel, four-wheel steering, and a 0-60 time of three seconds flat, the Zero concept sounds like it would be an absolute hoot to drive off-road.
But just anyone can have a great idea, build a website, and show off some truck- and ATV-shaped renders. Plus, even if Nikola can build this crazy-looking truck, there's no guarantee the startup could sell them. Nikola expects the One to cost $375,000, easily $200,000 more than the average cost of a new diesel-powered truck these days.
But if the One looks like your kind of futuristic big-rig, Nikola will gladly accept your $1500 reservation to get one. If you do so, and you ever receive a final product, we want to take it for a ride.
