Nikola Motor Company (Nikola), a developer of heavy-duty battery-electric (BEV) and fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) trucks, has received a USD 41.9 million grant from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) under the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP).

The funds will be directed toward building six open-access, heavy-duty hydrogen refueling stations across Southern California. Sponsor California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will also work alongside Nikola for the project.

The stations will be located along Californian freight corridors within the South Coast Air Quality Management District, San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, and Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District. Each station will have the capacity to refuel approximately 80–100 trucks per day.

Analyst QuickTake: Fueling infrastructure worldwide is still in its nascent stage in supporting hydrogen truck fleets; hence, FCEV manufacturers invest in these facilities to fuel the demand for vehicles. In fact, not only Nikola, but also peer FCEV truck makers such as Hyzon Motors and UK-based Tevva are also working toward developing fueling stations for hydrogen trucks to strengthen the FCEV ecosystem. We believe these efforts to improve charging infrastructure across the US and beyond will help accelerate the adoption of FCEV trucks.