First Batch of 14 Nikola Tre BEV trucks to be delivered to WattEV

First Batch of 14 Nikola Tre BEV trucks to be delivered to WattEV

May 5, 2023 3 By Erin Kilgore

Nikola recently announced the upcoming sale and delivery of the trucks to WattEV.

According to a Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ: NKLA) news release, the sale of the Nikola Tre BEV (battery-electric vehicle) trucks is being financed with a long-term lease between WattEV and Mitsubishi HC Capital America.

WattEV intends to serve fleets of commercial BEVs.

The Long Beach-based developer of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for heavy-duty trucks is building powerful public charging depots to serve commercial battery-electric vehicles. Also a provider of electric trucks as a service (TaaS), WattEV specializes in meeting the needs of shippers and fleet operators dedicated to meeting California’s mandates toward achieving zero-emissions.

Starting this month (May 2023), the first of WattEV’s four charging depots located in Southern California will reportedly open for service at the Port of Long Beach, with access to interstate 710 and 110. Nikola Tre BEVs will be able to use these depots for daily charging.

WattEV has been running a pilot test with Nikola Tre BEV trucks for the past six months.

According to WattEV CEO Salim Youssefzadeh, for the past six months the company has been running a pilot test with Nikola Tre BEV trucks and are “quite satisfied” with the trucks’ energy efficiency and the continual technical support.

Nikola Tre BEV - Image of a EV charger and a truck

“Nikola’s customer-centric approach to meet our requirement for transition from CCS to MCS charging will be a game changer, which will allow us to rapidly expand our fleet size,” the CEO said.

Presently, CCS (Combined Charging System) is the charging standard for heavy-duty electric trucks. The goal is for higher power MCS (Megawatt Charging System) to take its place and become the global standard for fast-charging of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. MCS would lower the typical charge session to under 30 minutes.

WattEV’s mission aligns with Nikola’s vision.

hydrogen news ebook“WattEV’s mission aligns with Nikola’s zero-emission vision to address the infrastructure pain point in support of the transition to zero-emissions by placing commercial truck charging solutions at all their depots,” said Michael Lohscheller, President and CEO, Nikola Corporation.

Lohscheller believes that the “availability of WattEV’s charging depots will play a significant role in industry adoption and provide customers with immediate zero-emission solutions.”

In addition to featuring its MCS charger at this year’s ACT Expo, WattEV is hosting the Vehicle Interoperability Testing Symposium from May 9 – 11, 2023, at its Charging Depot at the Port of Long Beach. At the event, both high-capacity chargers capable of charging over 100 trucks a day and the Nikola Tre BEV will be showcased.

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