Check out the nexgen hybrid Nikola One. 1,200 mi range, 2,000 HP, gas turbine, hybrid electric, all wheel drive.
Be one of the first 5,000 to pre-order and get 100,000 gal of CNG thrown in for free. Of course running OTR purely on CNG would depend on getting the CNG station network completed. Nikola has 50 stations of their own planned in addition to the CNG stations already in place.
Nikola owns their own gas wells and compressor stations and transportation fleet. That's how they can afford to give away fuel to the initial group and recoup that cost in fuel sales to the rest. There's also a 50¢ per gallon Federal credit for the CNG station owner. Win/Win. Nikola customers that aren't part of the free fuel group can purchase fuel for a guaranteed price of $1.50 per gallon.
The turbine only powers the generator, not the drive motors directly. This is basically the same technology that trains run on and could finally be a game changer. Like a locomotive it has an electric motor for each wheel which means you get an extra drive axle with the steering axle making it a true 6 x 6.
There's all kinds of advantages to this. Traction, steering, braking, stability, lower center of gravity, larger driver cab, ect.
Bottom line, this is very cool and I think we may see this become widespread relatively quick. All it would take is one major carrier to commit to running them and having success with lower operating cost. The rest would jump on the bandwagon.
Read more info (including their very cool electric 4x4 UTV) at NikolaMotor.com
3 comments:
Oh, so that is the new base for my dream motorhome...
I hope that technology is successful. Not because I have any ill will toward the petroleum industry, but for the cost savings and enviro benefits, as well as incentivizing additional R&D in traditional powerplant design.
Wonder why GE and GM aren't (and they may be - for all we know, Karen) developing similar platforms. It would seem to be a logical extension of their locomotive businesses, and probably equal or greater in market potential magnitude.
Exactly. You would think GM & GE would be at the forefront of this. GM historically loves driving the marketplace of transportation (see: the death of city trolleys and the rise of busses).
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