Nikola rebrands hydrogen business, touts infrastructure development
Electric truck maker Nikola has created a new brand, Hyla, to encompass the company’s energy products for producing, distributing, and dispensing hydrogen to fuel its trucks.
“The Hyla brand represents Nikola’s hydrogen-focused energy business by supporting our fuel-cell electric vehicles and those of other OEMs,” said Carey Mendes, president of Nikola Energy. “Hydrogen energy is the catalyst for the Hyla brand and serves as a forward-looking solution for our customers to help them achieve their sustainability goals and dramatically reduce the overall carbon emissions in the transportation sector.”
See also: Nikola debuts mobile fueler for hydrogen fuel-cell trucks
Under the Hyla brand, Nikola is developing access of up to 300 metric tons per day of hydrogen. The company stated in its press release that it has partnered with hydrogen production hubs in Arizona, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Alberta in Canada to meet demand.
Hyla is planning its Phoenix Hydrogen Hub in Buckeye, Arizona. The hub is planned to be built in phases to scale with the demand created from Nikola’s zero-emission trucks in the Southwest, starting with 30 metric tons in the first phase, and up to 150 metric tons per day of hydrogen in future phases. Construction of the first phase is anticipated to be completed in the second half of 2024, once final investment decisions and customary regulatory approvals are finalized. The company is applying to use a loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund development.
The Hyla brand will be used in the expansion of fueling infrastructure as the company aims to reach 60 hydrogen stations by 2026. The first announced hydrogen stations will be in California in the cities of Colton and Ontario, with another location servicing the Port of Long Beach. Nikola’s press release stated that the company estimates fueling time to be less than 20 minutes “based on expected technology improvements.”
