Class 8 electric trucks

Demo decisions: Nikola builds tentative order book for electric trucks

Nikola Corp. is continuing to pull in letters of intent for its battery-electric and fuel cell Class 8 daycabs from some big names in trucking. Converting those intentions to purchase orders rides on how well the new technology performs in demonstrations.

Covenant Logistics Group became the latest of three large for-hire trucking companies to go on record as potential customers of Phoenix-based Nikola, which is building battery-electric Class 8 trucks at a new plant in Coolidge, Arizona, between...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/demo-decisions-nikola-builds-tentative-order-book-for-electric-trucks

Trickle charge: Electric truck orders continue to build albeit slowly

Nikola Corp. and Volvo Truck announced new orders for electric trucks on Wednesday, adding momentum for the still nascent move to zero tailpipe emissions.

The provisional orders at Nikola (NASDAQ: NKLA) include 10 battery-electric Tre models that will be leased by Heniff Transportation Systems through Thompson Truck Centers, a member of Nikola’s sales and service dealer network. If Heniff likes the performance of the trucks, it could boost the order by as many as 90 trucks.

Separately, Volvo...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trickle-charge-electric-truck-orders-continue-to-build-albeit-slowly

First Class 8 electric trucks headed for Texas

Fleetmaster Express recently ordered 10 Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 trucks as part of the company’s plan to transition from a diesel fleet to an electric one.

The Roanoke, Virginia-based carrier said it expects to receive the first two by early December. They will be the first Class 8 electric trucks in operation in the U.S. outside the West Coast, according to Fleetmaster Express. They will be based at the company’s terminal in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fleetmaster officials said they want to develop a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/first-class-8-electric-trucks-headed-for-texas

Breakthroughs and misconceptions: 9 questions with ChargePoint’s Rich Mohr

Rich Mohr spent a quarter-century at Ryder System Inc. working to solve challenges for fleets, some of which they didn’t even know they had.

Earlier this year, Mohr took his talents from Miami to the West Coast, where he is helping newly public electric charging station manufacturer ChargePoint Holdings (NYSE: CHPT) figure out how to make fleets comfortable with moving to battery-powered trucks. For all the hype about the great electric truck migration, it’s not that easy.

At Ryder (NYSE: R),...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/breakthroughs-and-misconceptions-9-questions-with-chargepoints-rich-mohr

Nikola moves on from Trevor Milton to tackle supply chain shortages

Nikola Corp. is unlikely to sell any battery-electric trucks this year because of semiconductor shortages for critical components, but it will let select customers and dealers use the trucks to build mileage and get retrofits later.

The company said Tuesday it expects to deliver 25-50 nonsaleable “pre-series” battery-electric Class 8 Tre cabover models in Q4. That is half as many as it previously predicted and well below the original projection of up to 600 trucks.

The trucks will be missing...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/nikola-moves-on-from-trevor-milton-to-tackle-supply-chain-shortages

Exclusive first ride: Nikola electric truck can turn on a dime

PHOENIX — From a minimalist cockpit-style cab with nearly every function visible on a 17 1/2-inch display monitor to whisper-quiet battery-electric operation and a turning radius that could jackknife a typical semi, the Nikola Tre daycab is no enhanced computer image or exaggeration. It is a very real truck. 

The proof came during FreightWaves’ exclusive ride last Thursday on a 1.9-mile oval track in the Phoenix area.

Nikola (NASDAQ: NKLA) is racing the clock to deliver after months of harsh...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/exclusive-first-ride-nikola-electric-truck-can-turn-on-a-dime

Nikola execs play the long game and take $1-a-year post-SPAC salaries

Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) CEO Mark Russell and other top executives of the startup electric truck company are playing the long game, accepting $1 a year in salaries and stock-based compensation that could bring huge payouts if the scandal-battered shares regain value.

The company’s proxy statement issued Wednesday shows that all executive compensation is at risk for three years. But if the stock returns to $55 a share by then, CEO Mark Russell could realize a $2.2 billion payout. Other named...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/nikola-execs-play-the-long-game-and-take-1-a-year-post-spac-salaries

Hyliion still shows no sales even as hybrid truck deliveries grow

Hybrid driverline developer Hyliion Holdings (NYSE: HYLN) used its Q1 earnings call with analysts Wednesday to talk about everything but financials.

The Austin, Texas-based startup declined to get into numbers because it is restating its full-year 2020 and first-quarter results to reflect stock warrants issued as liabilities instead of equity. The financials will be released May 24.

Hyliion, which went public in a business combination with Tortoise Acquisition Corp. last October, was able to cash...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/hyliion-still-shows-no-sales-even-as-hybrid-truck-deliveries-grow

Volvo to begin production of Class 8 electric trucks in December

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) will begin building Class 8 VNR Electric models at its New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, in early December, the Volvo Group subsidiary said Thursday.

An undisclosed number of 25 VNR day cabs planned for regional haul and drayage demonstration fleets are being tested in Southern California. They are part of the Volvo Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions (LIGHTS) project. Volvo LIGHTS is a 15-partner cost-sharing program with the California Air...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/volvo-to-begin-production-of-class-8-electric-trucks-in-december

The Daily Dash: HOS exemption denied; YRC boosting pay; OOIDA criticizes cost estimates for broker transparency

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said that having animals in the cab is not a sufficient reason for truck drivers to exceed their hours-of-service limits. Plus, YRC is offering hiring bonuses for some drivers and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) said that broker claims of the costs to comply with a transparency law are not realistic.

Man’s best friend...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-daily-dash-hos-exemption-denied-yrc-boosting-pay-ooida-criticizes-cost-estimates-for-broker-transparency

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