USA / Italy / UK - Three months’ on from the strategic and exclusive heavy-duty truck partnership signed between CNH Industrial NV of London, UK and Nikola Corporation of Phoenix, Arizona, USA, the partners, in Turin this month, announced it was now giving maximum priority to the development of its European business. Nikola together the Iveco SpA and FPT Industrial, two brands of CNH Industrial, are creating a European joint venture to develop and distribute cab-over hydrogen fuel-cell and battery-electric heavy duty trucks for the European market.

Nikola is providing its expertise in battery and battery management system technology, fuel-cell technologies and other advanced technologies (including hydrogen production, storage and dispensing from renewable energies), as well as its disruptive business model that foresees an industry-first all-inclusive truck lease arrangement. Nikola’s business model is to provide a full ‘all-in’ lease deal for its trucks, which includes vehicle, service, maintenance and fuel costs, providing long-term total cost of ownership certainty at or below diesel costs. Iveco, together with FPT Industrial, is to contribute its engineering and manufacturing expertise to industrialize the fuel-cell and battery electric trucks.