Nikola continues work on its first production facility in Coolidge, Arizona. The progress, compared to late December, is significant, including the first steel structure.

However, as we can see on the videos from Oneshot Creative, the scale is quite limited. Especially taking into consideration that more than six months passed since the official groundbreaking on July 23, 2020.

Nikola Semi Factory Construction Site Update Part 1 - January 29, 2021 (source: Oneshot Creative)

The company is experiencing a difficult period as after the termination of the Nikola Badger, also the collaboration on battery-electric refuse trucks with Republic Services (and potential big order) has come to an end.

We are really not sure whether the heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell business will take off, as most of what we have seen so far are announcements. The FCV car market has hit rock bottom and it might be the same with trucks and buses.

At some point in 2021, Nikola's European branch - related to IVECO - is expected to start the production of an all-electric Nikola Tre semi-truck at the IVECO plant in Ulm, Germany. The Alpha prototypes are already being tested in the U.S. We guess that there is a separate fleet in Europe.

Despite the initial positioning as a hydrogen truck company, Nikola will start from battery-electric trucks, and you know what? It might turn out that at some point in the future, they will drop the FCV idea and stick with BEVs.

See also

Nikola And Republic Services End Collaboration On Electric Refuse Truck

Nikola Teases First Tre BEV Alpha In The U.S.