Nikola Motor Company's new fuel cell car Three has probably a Swedish heart. But not even the supplier knows for sure.
In November last year, Nikola announced that they chose Powercell Sweden AB as the primary supplier of fuel cell stacks to the company's test vehicles, and nothing indicates that the cooperation will end when the company will start manufacturing the truck.
"If all goes well during the road tests, we plan to integrate Powercell S3 into our production line," said Nicolas CEO and founder Trevor Milton earlier.
What is Powercell's role in Nikola Tre?
"We have been appointed as the main supplier of Nikola for the previous trucks. Nikola Tre is a brand new product, but our cooperation with Nikola is going on for nothing and nothing indicates that our stack will not be as interesting for Nikola Tre. Nikola visited us last week when we tested our S3 stack in our new laboratory specially designed to handle comprehensive tests of powerful stacks under realistic driving conditions. "Says Mårten Wikforss, Communications Manager at Powercell Sweden AB. Will Powercell deliver fuel cell stacks to Nikola Tre?
- We can not answer this at the moment. We are the primary supplier and have supplied fuel cells to their test vehicles, based on the fact that we have a stack that is very well suited for heavy vehicles. Those features should be equally interesting for a truck for the European market, "says Mårten Wikforss.
Read more: 6 futuristic trucks that challenge Tesla semi
Powercell S3 (100 kW) is a fuel cell stack with unique high power density and is developed for use in the primary automotive industry. Its compact design makes it easy to integrate into vehicles of different types. The stack is based on industrial components making it suitable for mass production.
"In the S3, we have a stack that has been developed especially for the automotive industry, which produces great power in relation to its size. Then we build our fuel cell stacks on steel plates, unlike most competitors using graphite, which makes our stacks durable and robust for the automotive industry, "says Mårten Wikforss. |