Waste-management firm Republic Services will no longer purchase electric refuse trucks from Nikola. The scuttled purchase of 2,500 electric refuse trucks follows GM’s decision to cancel production of an electric pickup truck, the Badger.
According to Nikola, the Republic deal was to design and build an industry-first fully integrated refuse truck based on a zero-emissions battery-electric drive platform and body while also integrating multiple new systems into a new state-of-the-art vehicle.
“This was the right decision for both companies given the resources and investments required,” said Nikola CEO Mark Russell in a prepared statement. “We support and respect Republic Services’ commitment to achieving environmentally responsible, sustainable solutions for their customers. Nikola remains laser-focused on delivering on our battery-electric and fuel-cell electric commercial truck programs, and the energy infrastructure to support them.”
Nikola continues work on a heavy truck with plans to begin deliveries of its Tre battery-electric heavy trucks in the US in 2021.
Source: Nikola
