Nikola One hydrogen-powered semi begins road tests

The company aims to begin shipping pre-production units to fleets next year for further trials.

Nikola Motor Company has released a video showing its hydrogen-powered Nikola One semi truck testing on public roads.

Tesla's all-electric Semi recently stole the show, but Nikola has been working on zero-emissions Class 8 truck for several years.

With an enormous 320-kilowatt-hour battery and hydrogen fuel-cell range extender, the Nikola One is expected to be capable of cruising for 500-1,000 miles before recharging and refueling. Unlike Tesla's pure battery-powered semi, Nikola is targeting long-haul routes and places two beds in a traditional sleeper cab.

Both Tesla and Nikola claim zero-emissions semis will be drastically cheaper to operate than diesel trucks, with cheaper per-mile costs and lower total cost of ownership.

With help from Bosch, Nikola says it plans to begin shipping pre-production units to fleet partners next year for further trials.