Specialist
Former Engineer at Nikola Motor Corp
Agenda
- Hydrogen fuel cells overview – functionality and capabilities
- Fuel cell powered vehicles vs alternatives
- Competitive landscape and differentiators
- Nikola's (NASDAQ: NKLA) challenges – manufacturing and infrastructure
Questions
1.
Could you explain how fuel cell technology works and how it has been used historically?
2.
Are there any advantages of using natural gas vs hydrogen to power fuel cells?
3.
How would you compare and contrast the use of fuel cell technologies for producing electricity vs battery technology, the other main power source?
4.
How are the key performance metrics trending for fuel cell technologies, especially charge time and price? How close is the gap with ICE [internal combustion engine] technology at this point?
5.
Nikola seems to be drawing attention for its class A trucks. How would you assess its positioning in the race for clean commercial vehicles?
6.
What further questions or challenges do you think Nikola should address, and what do you think it has done well?
7.
Could you assess Nikola’s strategy in fuel cell technology? Do you think it will be successful in either creating or sufficiently sourcing a highly effective fuel cell?
8.
What do you feel the most effective sourcing methodology for fuel cells should be? Is this a system that Nikola should prioritise by manufacturing the technology in-house? Does the pricing and efficiency only make sense when outsourcing fuel cells?
9.
Do you have any insight into how the supply chain will work for the infrastructure and fuelling stations to get hydrogen to the point of sale?
10.
Nikola’s manufacturing strategy seems to rely heavily on CNH Industrial, a Europe-based company that is expected to manufacture the trucks at that stage. What is your understanding of that partnership with CNH? What will likely be handled by Nikola in-house? What will likely be outsourced?
11.
How did you interpret the headlines and the stories around GM scaling back its deal with Nikola?
12.
Could you outline the broader competitive landscape for Nikola in fuel cell technology and commercial-use EVs more broadly?
13.
Tesla is more focused on battery technology and doesn’t yet seem to be narrowly focused on developing a commercial EV. Do you think that is in Tesla’s future, and where would it be in this race relative to others if it did make it a focus?
14.
You mentioned competitors including Volvo, Daimler, Mercedes and Kenworth – have any of them taken an interesting approach or are there any notable strengths or weaknesses relative to Nikola?
15.
Why do you think Nikola has garnered so much attention when other players seem to have a far superior manufacturing infrastructure? Is it due to its infrastructure plan and its activeness there?
16.
Could you speculate on potential timelines for Nikola starting to deliver its trucks and hydrogen fuelling stations along major routes in Arizona and California?
17.
Do you have any other thoughts on Nikola’s leadership team and what you felt the management was focusing on during your tenure?
18.
Do you have anything additional to mention?
19.
Do you think liquid or gaseous hydrogen will be used within the truck initially?
20.
Could you reiterate the production costs for fuel cells used in trucks? I have heard ranges from USD 100 per kWh up to USD 1,000 per kWh.
