Nikola Corporation, via its new Hyla brand, is partnering with BayoTech to advance the reliable supply of hydrogen for zero-emission commercial fuel cell electric vehicle fleets. Their agreement includes Nikola’s Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks, BayoTech HyFill bulk hydrogen trailers, and hydrogen produced at BayoTech’s distributed network of hubs, according to the companies.
As the anchor hydrogen offtake customer, Nikola expects to take delivery of low-carbon hydrogen produced by BayoTech commencing in Missouri this year and California in 2024. Nikola plans to acquire up to 10 HyFill transport trailers, facilitating the distribution of high-pressure gaseous hydrogen from the production sites to refueling stations.
“Nikola and BayoTech are united by a common goal of providing reliable access to hydrogen throughout the United States,” Michael Lohscheller, president and CEO of Nikola, said in a news release. “BayoTech’s low-carbon hydrogen fuel and transport equipment will play an important part in supporting the adoption of Nikola’s Class 8 fuel cell electric zero-emission trucks.”
BayoTech plans to purchase up to 50 Nikola fuel cell electric vehicles over the next five years, with the first 12 trucks scheduled for delivery in 2023 and 2024. The trucks will be paired with HyFill bulk hydrogen transport trailers to deliver low-carbon hydrogen from BayoTech’s hydrogen production hubs.
“We’re immensely proud to be an industry leader in our commitment to deliver hydrogen to local customers via zero-emission fuel cell trucks,” said Mo Vargas, BayoTech president and CEO. “Partnering with forward-looking companies like Nikola allows us to accelerate the deployment of our hydrogen hub network and stimulate the growth of the hydrogen ecosystem.”
The Nikola fuel cell electric vehicle offers a range of up to 500 miles, according to Nikola, making it one of the longest-range, zero-tailpipe-emission Class 8 trucks available and ideal for various applications, including drayage, intermodal, truckload, less than truckload, and specialized hauling.