Nikola Tre a Pleasure to Test Drive

Despite more than a year of problems and boardroom drama, battery-electric truck manufacturer Nikola has recently managed to ship 131 trucks to dealers with 500 more vehicles set to be delivered this year.

And, although the new trucks are without many of the bells and whistles originally promised by Nikola founder Trevor Milton when he introduced his company in 2017, the new Tre is worthy competition for other EV trucks including Freightliner's eCascadia, Volvo's VNR Electric, the Peterbilt 579EV and Kenworth T680e.

The Tre offers a range of up to 330 miles per charge. It’s built on the Iveco S-WAY platform. It measures 13'2" tall, which is quite noticeable from the driver's seat. Towering over the road, the driver’s seat hovers over a telescopic steering wheel and an array of digital screens providing information on everything including speed, mileage range and battery charge, map, and HVAC. There's plenty of room to stand up, plenty of overhead storage and a skylight.

Drivers will be impressed at the extremely quiet nature of the truck. On the open highway, where some EV’s might be surrounded by wind and road noise, the Tre is comfortable. And, in traffic, the truck maneuvers efficiently and is well-suited for short-haul and regional deliveries.

According to Nikola, there’s little difference between the aerodynamics of the Tre and most new conventional trucks. Although the exterior is a series of sharp angles and flat surfaces, the truck’s wind-resistance is "sneaky," with those squares and flats minimizing drag and reducing turbulence.

Maneuverability in a cabover can provide a challenge but not with the Tre. A U-turn is often difficult, if not impossible, in most semis, but the Tre makes a 180-degree about-face as well as most smaller trucks and passenger cars. There's a look-down mirror under the visor to account for small cars and pedestrians because the cabover design makes it difficult to spot things close to the bumper.

The weight of the battery packs along with a new suspension system and bigger wheels actually make the ride quality of the new Tre superior to most trucks because it tends to have a lower center of gravity. In addition, the six-stage regeneration brake makes driving in traffic easier.

The PlusDrive system, which includes lidar, radar and a camera system, will provide an autonomous driving system. The complete system, however, will not be available until the end of 2024.

Tre is currently only available in a daycab with the potential for sleeper models postponed as the company continues to tweak its technology. The company continues to build out its plant in Coolidge, Arizona to eventually produce Tre’s with up to a 500-mile range which would offer a sleeper berth.

Although leadership problems continue to plague Nikola, its product on the road has been pleasingly successful and the Tre is definitely a worthy entrant in the battery-electric truck market.