Nikola Motor gets $2.3B worth of preorders for electric semi

Nikola Motor gets $2.3B worth of preorders for 2,000HP, electric semi-trailer truck
Click on link for story on the truck (it's from Computerworld) - it's pretty interesting.

 

How you can prove they have $ 2.3 B. Scam. Our engineers can not create reliable diesel engine turbo how they can design power turboengine. Why fat cat money holders invested billions in CNG truck stop renovation?
Fake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't know if it's fake, but it's a good idea, we've made some great progress getting off of fossil fuels and getting into renewable. I just doubt that things gonna be more profitable than a diesel powered freightliner... Not many places to "fuel" very limited parts availability, never mind repairs...some Current mechanics can barely figure out how an egr/def system works... Never mind a giant computer. What happens if it gets wet? Lol

 

And another thing, let's say they do create fuel stops for these trucks, how longs it gonna take to fuel it up? Lol an hour? I mean it'd bring everything to a screeching hault unless you did terminal to terminal and waited over night while it charged.

We have problems with people putting DEF in the fuel tank that's 10 feet apart, and we're just gonna let dip #### charge up a big ### battery that's probably pumping enough power to kill you.... Needs more thoughts for sure

 

When you think about it, why wouldn't it be possible? The technology is already in play on diesel powered locomotives. The engines powering them are electric motors, when applied to a truck it should be the same thing but on a smaller scale. I just wish the truck looked better

 

@John Dewart did you read the article? The electric suisse of the truck is recharged via a turbine engine that can be diesel, lng, or cng powered. So it's always got a charge

 

Heck most of the trains are still 2-stroke diesels. Lol

 

Not true. GE's (the top seller) have always been four stroke, and the newest EMD's have switched as well, with tier 4 kicking in.

I did a lot of reading on this thing, some tidbits buried in the faq :

The turbine is only 500 hp, and even with the 800V battery, I don't think it'll put out the advertised 2000hp for any extended climbs.

If you look up specs, the batteries and motors will likely outweigh the current power trains, making their weight estimate a hard target to meet.

Also, a turbine in the power class is only half as efficient as a diesel, and that's at it's best, which is near full power on a turbine. Throttle it back, and it gets worse. On rolling terrain, where you can take advantage of the regenerative braking, you might see decent gains, but steady state this will be a fuel hog.

And right now, there isn't much difference between diesel and CNG in cost per BTU.

It would fun to have one, but as currently proposed, the numbers are a pipe dream. This setup with a 300hp range diesel would generate some eye opening MPGs, but that ain't happening with a turbine. Look up UP's turbines from the Cold War Era, they retired them in the late sixties due to high fuel costs.

 

Right on with the turbine fuel economy. I 've hauled Jet-A to power plants where we couldn't unload fast enough to keep up with consumption. 16 tankers lined up...tank level dropping as we watched.

 

My concept semi has 4,000 horsepower and uses air for fuel