Nikola CEO Terms Truck Fires A 'Setback', Says It Won't Affect Hydrogen-Powered Truck Deliveries

Nikola Corp NKLA CEO Steve Girsky on Wednesday termed the several cases of fire reported with its battery electric trucks a ‘setback’ and detailed the measures being undertaken to fix the issue.

Several incidents of fire have been reported with Nikola battery electric trucks (BEV) since June, and Nikola issued a recall for all the vehicles in the market between dealers and customers in August.

The CEO said in a Q&A session that the recall was issued within 24 hours of receiving the findings of the investigation into the incidents. The report pinned the cause of fires down to a coolant leak within the battery packs.

“Our engineering and safety teams are working around the clock to ensure the safety of our trucks and the public and we are taking further precautions by deploying teams to our active fleet to physically monitor the trucks in service. We have not encountered any concerns with those trucks that are in operation,” Girsky said.

The company started working with customers and dealers to get the trucks to its Coolidge Arizona manufacturing facility starting Aug. 21. This, Girsky said, would allow for the repairs to be undertaken in an efficient manner under the supervision of the team unlike in the case of a field remedy. Timelines and costs involved will be informed to the customers as soon as possible, he added.

“It is a setback but we are in it for the long haul,” Girsky said.

Pushing Forward With Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks: Nikola has halted deliveries of its BEVs until the recall is complete. However, the company is now preparing to deliver its hydrogen fuel cell trucks or FCEVs. The BEV recall will not affect the production or deliveries of the FCEVs as they employ different battery packs from a different supplier, Girsky clarified.

Nikola began production of its FCEVs on July 31 and the first production vehicle came off the line approximately two weeks ago, the CEO said. The company will start delivering the trucks to dealers starting late September after a launch celebration at the Coolidge facility on Sept. 28.

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