Nikola claims breakthrough in battery technology, capable of 800 miles of range

Nikola plans to use battery packs on its larger hydrogen- powered semi-trailer trucks, while using all-electric powertrains on smaller trucks with shorter range.

Nikola claims they will equip the vehicles with new batteries that have breakthrough performance.

In a press release, Nikola Motors announced that its all-electric trucks can travel 800 miles when fully loaded after being fully charged.

Nikola's truck could weigh up to 5,000 pounds, making it lighter than competing vehicles with the same battery size.

Nikola's hydrogen-electric fuel cell trucks can travel more than 1,000 miles (about 1,609 kilometers) between stops and refuel in 15 minutes.

Nikola Motors has launched the world's first independent electrode automotive battery. The energy density of the battery material layer is 1,100 watt-hours per kilogram, and the energy density of the production unit layer is 500 watt-hours per kilogram, which includes casing, terminals and separators. The above energy storage density is more than twice that of existing lithium-ion battery cells.

During the battery's life cycle, the charge and discharge cycles can exceed 2,000 times. Compared with lithium-ion batteries, the battery itself is 40% lighter and can save 50% of the material cost per kilowatt-hour.

The company has shown that the technology can double the range of electric vehicles without increasing the size and weight of the batteries .

Trevor Milton, CEO of Nikola Motors, commented on the announcement: “This is the biggest advancement we’ve ever seen in the battery space. We’re not talking about tiny improvements, we’re talking about doubling the capacity of the battery in your cell phone . We’re talking about doubling the range of both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric vehicles, globally.”

The company said it has drawn up “a letter of intent to acquire a world-class battery engineering team” and expects to disclose information about the acquisition next year. It will also demonstrate the charging and discharging process of the breakthrough battery to the audience at its “Nikola World” event in the fall of 2020.