U.S. Xpress Anticipates Placing Multimillion Dollar Orders for Nikola Electric Trucks
Truckload carrier U.S. Xpress Inc. formally announced its plans Dec. 8 to be an early adopter of the recently unveiled zero-emission, hydrogen-electric Class 8 Nikola One truck from Nikola Motor Co.
If the eventual testing of the unprecedented truck goes as well as anticipated, Chattanooga, Tennessee-based U.S Xpress said in a statement provided to Transport Topics it “believes it will be a multimillion dollar investment once the Nikola One moves into production [in 2020].”
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“Much like our recent collaboration with Freightliner and its Next-Generation Cascadia semi-truck, the Nikola One is another example of how U.S. Xpress continues to work closely with its manufacturers to identify opportunities where cutting-edge technologies and the latest advancements in clean fuels can be used to conserve more energy, lower gas emissions and reduce the overall carbon footprint of our fleet, Max Fuller, chairman and CEO of U.S. Xpress, said in a separate statement.
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“U.S. Xpress drivers are going to have one of the most environmentally sound trucks on the road that they are going to love to drive,” Trevor Milton, CEO and founder of Nikola Motor Co., said in a statement. “Each state-of-the-art cab comes complete with full-sized beds, large closet, full size refrigerator and freezer, microwave, television, internet and electronic climate control.”
U.S. Xpress Enterprises ranks No. 19 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
It is also the second-largest privately held TL carrier in the nation, the company said.
