The electric powertrain on the Nikola One and Nikola Two trucks has been jointly developed with Bosch, and the semi-trailer is set to be almost twice as powerful as previous trucks, with over 1,000 hp and 2,700 newton metres of torque.
Bosch’s scalable, modular eAxle consists of the motor, powertrain electronics and transmission, and its use ranges through to light commercial vehicles. Nikola Motors and Bosch are now aiming to develop the world’s first electric axle for commercial vehicles with a dual drive. Bosch’s commercial-vehicle electric motor technology and separate motor generator (SMG) drives will also be used on the eAxle for long-haul trucks. This will be combined with a fuel cell system, which will also be jointly developed.
Nikola and Bosch build fuel-cell trucks
The two manufacturers are also teaming up on vehicle control, the powertrain system, the safety concept and vehicle electronics. Nikola’s founder and CEO Trevor Milton says, "The powertrain requires an innovative and flexible partner able to adapt quickly to the speed of our team. Bosch has empowered us to come to market quickly with automotive-grade hardware and software so our vision can become a reality."