Incentives could shave 70% off price of Nikola fuel cell truck

Hydrogen-powered daycab will still be expensive but closer to parity with diesel rig

If Nikola is approved, its fuel cell electric truck could qualify for a base incentive of $240,000 from the California HVIP. (Photo: Nikola)

If Nikola qualifies for California’s $240,000 subsidy on its Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric truck and some other spiffs apply, a buyer could save 40% to 70% off the upfront cost of the zero-emission truck.

The technology — a fuel cell’s only emission is water vapor — still makes the Tre FCEV pricey. Nikola won’t give a specific figure, but something close to $1 million per unit before incentives would not be far off. That doesn’t count hydrogen fuel, which likely would be more expensive  than diesel, even at the latter’s elevated rates.

Groundwork laid for Nikola fuel cell truck incentive

Nikola applied for the Tre FCEV’s inclusion in California’s Hybrid and Zero Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) base fuel cell incentive of $240,000 after receiving a zero emissions powertrain executive order from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

If used in a drayage fleet, the per-truck incentive would rise to $270,000. It tops out at $288,000 for fleets with 10 or fewer trucks conducting drayage operations. Rules require those trucks operate in a designated disadvantaged area where excessive pollution from trucks is an impediment to clean air. 

Nondrayage fleets are eligible for up to 30 HVIP vouchers; drayage fleets can get up to 50 vouchers.

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    5 Comments

    1. Paul

      Thank god jihad joe Biden passed that multi trillion dollar infrastructure bill, oh wait only a small portion is going to actual infrastructure. Never mind.

    2. Alfonso

      But they forget to mention the truck cost over $600,000 more that their EV Treo which cost $505,000 without charger.. So a buyer will still need to come out with at least $250k out of pocket. They also don’t mention the insurance cost to insure more than half million dollar unit, definitely not less than my $30k truck I owed now and pay $1,200 monthly

    3. Stephen Webster

      We need to limit gov ass to hep with recharging staions and parking. We need to limit ass to get green teck to $10,000/ truck or $50,000/ company / yr
      Better to spend the $ to look adter sick disabled drivers and vets and transit

    4. Steve Webster

      A limit of $30,000/ trucking co per year should put in place as long as we have homeles disabled truck drivers that have frozen to death in new york stste and ont canada

    5. Jim

      I was wondering if all the hydrogen fuel cells trucks would be required by law to be placarded,and be required to stop at all railroads crossing as the tanker and cylinder distributor half to. Just a thought being a hauler of such cargo.

    Comments are closed.

    Alan Adler

    Alan Adler is an award-winning journalist who worked for The Associated Press and the Detroit Free Press. He also spent two decades in domestic and international media relations and executive communications with General Motors.