Nikola inaugurates first HYLA modular hydrogen refueling station in Ontario, CA
Nikola, producer of fuel cell and battery electric semi trucks, held a grand opening for the first of its HYLA refueling stations. The goal is to build a hydrogen refueling network that can be rolled out quickly, and built up over time as fuel cell trucks become more common.
There’s a big push for zero emission trucks in California right now, in response to California’s new truck regulations. That push is particularly focused on the trucking routes between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the distribution centers of the Inland Empire – which Ontario lies at the heart of.
For a zero emission truck, you’ve got basically two choices: batteries, or hydrogen fuel cells.
Nikola sells both of these, but the problem with hydrogen is that the electrical grid is already built out, and there’s relative ease to add new chargers, whereas hydrogen fueling stations are a more involved effort.
So Nikola created its HYLA concept, which allows it to roll out temporary refueling stations in targeted areas under more simplistic permitting and construction schemes, with the potential to build these stations into a larger permanent construction later on.
As of now, the refueling station is… basically just an asphalt-and-gravel lot, with a building for 24/7 support on-site, across the street from the Ontario Airport. But it only took a few months for Nikola to set this up, which is key given the rapid rollout of electric trucks in California, especially for drayage (moving goods from port to distribution centers).
The station consists of two large liquid hydrogen tanks on trailers, each holding over 800 kilograms of hydrogen stored in liquid form. This is enough hydrogen for about 20-25 fillups. The Nikola Tre FCEV holds about 70kg of hydrogen in a tank, but fillups won’t always fill the entire tank.
Filling up takes about 20 minutes, with technicians on hand to manage the process. Fueling with highly compressed hydrogen (700 bar) is a little more complicated than uncompressed diesel or high-powered DC chargers. The equipment onboard the tank trailer also includes motors and pumps to turn the liquid hydrogen into compressed gaseous hydrogen before putting it into the Tre’s tank.
The process is also quite noisy due to the pumps onboard the trailer unit, and there is some loss of hydrogen during the pumping process – hydrogen molecules are tiny, and really hard to keep in place.
Nikola says it has been filling these tanks once every day or two so far, but wants to scale up to filling about 50-70 trucks a day, which will require daily deliveries of liquid hydrogen. Currently, that liquid hydrogen is “gray” hydrogen, which means it was produced by methane, a fossil fuel. FCEVs are still more efficient than diesel vehicles when run on hydrogen made from methane, but not as efficient as battery EVs charged from methane-generated electricity.
But just like with BEVs – it’s even better if the fuel comes from a better source. Hydrogen could theoretically be generated by electrolysis of water, powered by clean energy. This is called “green hydrogen,” and Ole Hofelmann, President of Nikola Energy, told us that Nikola would like to set up a green energy hydrogen electrolysis plant in order to produce its own liquid hydrogen and then deliver it to its own stations in its own trucks, making the whole loop have zero emissions. But that’s some ways off.
While this is only a temporary station for now, Nikola plans to make it more permanent in the future – paving the lot, building permanent pumps and so on. As that happens, the trailers can be sent to the next site, as an “advance team” to set up the site before permanent construction (and lots of permitting) begins. Nikola says it wants to have 9 stations set up in California by the end of Q2 and 14 this year – which seems ambitious. Today was the grand opening for this station, but it has been in operation for about a month and a half now.
The truck – the Nikola Tre Fuel Cell semi
The higher energy density of the hydrogen – stored at 10,000psi in four 450lb tanks behind the cab – means that the Tre FCEV has longer range (500mi) than competing electric trucks. This doesn’t matter all that much for drayage, but Nikola told us that one driver does a weekly loop filling up in Oakland, CA, driving down to Long Beach, then out to Ontario, then filling up and heading back to Oakland. This is too long a trip for most BEV trucks (except one, at least – we’ve seen the Tesla Semi do similar mileage).
We spoke with a driver, Edward from 4 Gen Logistics, who’s been driving the Tre FCEV for about 6,000 miles. He said that he he was initially intimidated by the new technology (and by the climb to get in the truck in the first place – it sits VERY HIGH), but now he likes the Tre more than other BEV trucks he’s driven like the Volvo VNR, Kenworth, and Daimler eCascadia. He says this is because the longer range means he can do 2-3 trips to the port and back in one shift, which he hasn’t been able to do with the BEV trucks. And it comes with a features to make his life easier, like automatic tire pressure and load sensing.
He also likes the performance. Similar to other electric trucks, it has a ton of torque, but Edward said the FCEV is even better at climbing hills with a full load than the BEVs he’s driven are.
I’ve driven the Daimler and Volvo myself, and both were super impressive in their drivability. I’ve ridden in the Tre FCEV tractor (with no trailer) on two occasions, and the ride is extremely quiet for a 26,200lb, 536hp tractor (about 3,000lbs lighter than the BEV – both get an extra 2,000lb weight limit, though the FCEV’s extra 2k lbs only applies in 5 states, while the BEV’s is federal). I’m also impressed with the strength of its regenerative braking – though that’s particularly hard to judge without a trailer attached.
The FCEV does have similar horsepower to the Kenworth and about 100 more horsepower than the Volvo and Daimler, but it has a much smaller battery that it’s pulling that power from. Nikola’s fuel cell stack is large, but it mainly works to charge the 164kWh onboard battery, which then goes on to power the wheels. Most hydrogen vehicles have a battery to buffer the power coming from the fuel cell stack, but this is a particularly large one, even for a semi truck.
Electrek’s Take
We at Electrek were skeptical of Nikola from early on. There are a lot of EV startups out there, and we try to cover as many of them as we can. But it’s a difficult business, and many of them are likely to fail. Everyone should always keep on guard about untested claims from new companies.
Nikola was one of those companies that made early claims that ended up not being true. As a result, its founder and former CEO, Trevor Milton, ended up in prison.
It has moved through a few CEOs since then, but seems to have largely put the Milton era behind it. Nikola is making trucks now, and has delivered far more trucks than Tesla has delivered Semis, both BEV and FCEV (though it had to recall all of its BEVs last year).
And now we’ve ridden in the FCEV twice, and it worked rather well – it ran under its own power, not just downhill like Milton’s “Nikola One”. And drivers seem to like it. That’s good progress.
As for the feasibility of fuel cells in general – many of our readers question its application and whether it’s better than BEV. We share those questions, particularly given that ~95% of hydrogen is currently produced from methane, which means it’s a lot dirtier to fill up on hydrogen than on CA grid electricity (which is generated from ~54% non-polluting sources).
California is working on adding requirements to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) which would require a certain percentage of “green” hydrogen to earn credits, so that might be cleaning up if progress is made on offering commercial green hydrogen credits. And if Nikola manages to build those electrolysis plants, that could solve the problem too (we also remember Tesla saying every Supercharger would have solar panels way back in 2012, and several hundred billion dollars in revenue later, that, uh, hasn’t happened).
But all of that is a long way off. However, we say similar things with EVs – even if an EV is charged with full coal power, it’s still cleaner than a gas car, and as the grid cleans up, the EV cleans up too. Same with FCEVs – if green hydrogen makes its way onto the market (or if governments finally implement carbon pricing as they should have done 100 years ago) an FCEV suddenly becomes much cleaner as well.
And if you don’t have trucks out there, then there’s no reason, or capital, for investment into building up infrastructure to generate green hydrogen. So you have to put some trucks on the road so there’s a reason to do it.
We’ve heard a lot of the same arguments from the light duty side of things – see our drive in the Honda CR-V e:FCEV earlier this week – but for those, BEV is already much more practical than FCEV. For heavy duty, especially long haul, hydrogen does have real advantages, at least in the short or medium term. So it’s good to see someone working on it – and it’s good to see Nikola working to put the specters of its past behind it.
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While Washington continues to threaten America’s economic security and position as a global technology leader by toying with the idea of killing the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, the ENERGY STAR program, and other energy efficiency incentives, the private energy sector is stepping up with massive investments in battery storage, charging infrastructure, and commercial EV rebates – and helping fleet buyers navigate those new incentives is becoming part of the broader business plan.
The inspiration for this article was a recent announcement by Ford Pro, which is baking its incentive sourcing plan into its new new Electric Vehicle Incentive Consultation Service – a new offering designed to help Ford’s commercial customers navigate the rapidly-changing world of EV incentives.
The approach is working, too. In the few short weeks since launching the Consultation Service, tFord Pro helped customers discover over $40,000 in available incentives for charging purchases and $1.5 million for electric vehicle purchases.
Case(s) in point
Joliet Junior College in Illinois wanted to take advantage of the reduced air pollution, noise, and operating costs promised by EVs, but faced budget constraints that made the up-front costs of electrifying seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Consultants from Ford Pro were able to identify a number of state and local utility incentives the college was eligible for, which resulted in ra free L2 EV charger and an $8,000 EV charging infrastructure make-ready rebate from ComEd that, when combined, covered 100% of the college’s installation costs.
The college was also able to qualify for a $7,500 commercial EV rebate (also from ComEd) that was applied at the point of sale, allowing the college to begin realizing fuel savings on day one.
“I recently worked with Ford Pro to learn more about rebates for a 2025 Ford Lightning truck that will be used as a police patrol vehicle for our college campus,” explained Tracy Williams, Deputy Chief of the Joliet Junior College Police Department. “They went above and beyond my expectations in this process. The rebate we were eligible for was proactively added upfront to our quote. This service was a significant help to our small department, allowing us to allocate resources more effectively and reduce the initial outlay.”
Ford Pro isn’t alone
Startup manufacturers like Orange EV, ReVolt Motors, and Windrose – even 3PLs like YMX, Nuvve, and Highland Electric – have made cursory fleet assessments a core part of their initial go to market strategies.
Even giant legacy brand Ford, with its Ford Pro E-Switch Assist, is offering to take telematic data from existing gas- and diesel-powered Ford F-150 and Transit models and track each vehicle’s individual energy use to determine whether it’s a good candidate for replacement with a Ford EV.
“Smart tools informed by data like E-Switch Assist are opening up many new conversations with our commercial customers large and small about EV readiness; we’re already using E-Switch Assist regularly in consultations to help organizations determine if electric trucks and vans are right for them,” says Nate McDonald, EV strategy and cross vehicle brand manager at Ford Pro. “The importance of these tools and technologies goes beyond selling a customer a new vehicle—it changes mindsets about whether electric vehicles will work for their business while potentially saving them time and money.”
There’s no question, then, that E-Switch Assist is a great product, but it kind of highlights one of my big criticisms of using fleet assessment and grant sourcing products as an integrated G2M strategy for OEMs.
Electrek’s Jo’s Take
The problem with tying this kind of fleet assessment and incentive sourcing into a sales pitch of any kind is the question of credibility. Imagine you’re a fleet buyer for a large bakery looking to replace your aging diesel fleet with some new electric box vans. You’ve read about the Motiv fleet proving itself over millions of real-world miles, you’ve read about the incredible deals on the Chevy Brightdrop, and you even got to check out the new Bollinger B4 at an ACT Expo ride and drive. They all seem great, and they all seem to work – but will they work for you?
Maybe they will, but if you got a fleet assessment from Motiv, another one from Chevy, and a third one from Bollinger, do you think any of them would tell you to go hit your local Isuzu dealer if that was, indeed, the most cost-effective choice for your fleet’s specific needs? Or do you think that each analyst would, through a miracle of miracles involving novel pivot tables and a sketchy misrepresentation of the law of large numbers, discover that their company’s products were ideally suited to meet your fleet’s needs?
In fairness to Ford Pro, their E-Switch Assist product only looks at Ford products, identifying when ICE-powered F-150s and Transits can seamlessly be switched out for F-150 Lightning pickups and E-Transit electric vans. I’d also say that, in my experience, ReVolt founder Gus Gardner and Highland Electric CEO Duncan McIntyre are stand-up guys who would probably be the first to tell you if their company’s products aren’t right for you – but that’s easy for me to say when it’s not my millions of dollars and my job security on the line, you know?
That’s why I look at programs like what we have here in Chicago, where both Scooter and I are based, as real standouts. The local utility ComEd, which is mentioned in the Joliet Junior College example from Ford, above, offers an unbiased and complimentary Fleet Electrification Assessment to qualifying commercial customers. That assessment not only helps identify what assets are primed candidates to electrify, but also looks into the customers’ site, helping them understand their charging options and maximize savings with smart metering, intelligent off-peak charging schedules, and a $90 million EV rebate program to help fund their suggestions. (!)
On a national level, companies like ICF have a fifty year track record of providing fleets with the tools and information they need to maximize their fleets’ energy efficiency with solutions that include electrification, better route planning, and right-sizing, while companies like GNA (now part of TRC and hosts of the ACT Expo) have been doing similar work, sourcing billions of dollars in grants for fleets in California.
When it’s all coming together with the right information, product offering, and utility involvement, you see results – which is why Illinois’ EV growth is outpacing the rest of the nation by 4:1. Here’s hoping other states and utilities are paying attention, and start getting this EV thing right, too.
Original content from Electrek.
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U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he gives remarks outside the West Wing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2025.
Kent Nishimura | Reuters
President Donald Trump is standing in his own way when it comes to passing crypto legislation.
Lawmakers this week rejected the GENIUS Act — a bill meant to establish federal rules for stablecoins — due in part to concerns that President Trump’s personal cryptocurrency ventures have created an unprecedented conflict of interest.
“Currently, people who wish to cultivate influence with the president can enrich him personally by buying cryptocurrency he owns or controls,” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said in a statement to CNBC explaining his opposition to the bill. “This is a profoundly corrupt scheme. It endangers our national security and erodes public trust in government.”
Stablecoins are digital currencies that are pegged to the value of other assets, like the U.S. dollar.
Getting anything passed in Congress is a steep uphill battle for Republicans given their razor-thin majority in the House, filibuster-proof requirement in the Senate, and Democrats’ increasingly unified stance against President Trump’s agenda. But enough Democrats appeared to be on board with a stablecoin law to bring about a rare bipartisan win for the president.
That’s until $TRUMP got in the way.
The president’s meme coin, which he launched just before the inauguration in January, has added billions of dollars of paper worth to his coffers. Its value soared last month after the project ran a promotion offering top $TRUMP holders a dinner with the president and a “VIP White House tour.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called it a “pay-for-play scheme.” First Lady Melania Trump has a coin as well.
The GENIUS bill failed to advance in the Senate on Thursday. It needed 60 votes to move to the Senate floor for final passage. The final tally was 48 in favor and 49 against. Three senators didn’t vote.
Earlier in the week, Senate Democrats unveiled the “End Crypto Corruption Act,” spearheaded by Merkley and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, meant to prohibit elected officials and senior executive branch personnel and their families from issuing or endorsing digital assets.
But the key defections to the stablecoin legislation came last weekend, when a group of nine Senate Democrats — four of whom had previously voted for the bill in committee — said that they wouldn’t support it and called for stronger provisions to address “anti-money laundering, foreign issuers, and national security.”
‘Ongoing self-dealing’
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware was one of the four. She pointed directly at Trump’s financial entanglements.
“I also remain concerned about the ongoing self-dealing and financial conflicts of interest being carried out by the Trump family,” she wrote in a statement on Thursday.
It’s not just about the $TRUMP and $MELANIA meme coins. There’s also the Trump family crypto venture World Liberty Financial, which was established last year and launched a stablecoin just as the administration pushed for looser regulations on digital assets.
Reports have indicated that Abu Dhabi-based MGX is using Trump’s stablecoin for a $2 billion investment in crypto exchange Binance, creating yet another potential conflict of interest for a sitting president.
For some investors and entrepreneurs in the crypto industry, the president’s pursuit of personal profits is creating a major impediment to long-awaited advancements. After years of setbacks during the Biden administration, the crypto lobby became a powerful force in funding Trump’s 2024 campaign and in successfully backing industry-friendly candidates for Congress.
“It’s unfortunate that personal business is getting in the way of good policy,” said Ryan Gilbert, founder of fintech venture fund Launchpad Capital. “I would hope that everybody in the administration, including the president, gets out of the way of good policy.”
The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment. At a press conference on Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, when asked about the meme coin dinner, that “the president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws.”
“The president is a successful businessman, and I think it’s one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office,” Leavitt said.
A number of top Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have joined the parade of critics, targeting President Trump’s personal pursuits. Gillibrand helped introduce the GENIUS Act earlier this year, but she said this week that there are “a number of outstanding issues that needed to be addressed before the bill could pass the full Senate.”
“I believe it is essential to the future of the U.S. economy and to everyday Americans that we enact strict stablecoin regulations and consumer protections where none currently exist,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “I remain extremely confident and hopeful that very soon we can finish the job.”
Sen. Blumenthal called for an investigation into Trump-linked coins, demanding financial records from World Liberty Financial and slamming the president for “the attempted use of the White House to host competitions to prop up the value of $TRUMP.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, had supported the GENIUS Act but said he couldn’t move forward this week after Republicans declined to provide more time to negotiate.
“Without more time to at least finish the bill, there was no true bipartisan path forward,” he wrote on X.
Launchpad’s Gilbert said the GENIUS Act is just the first piece. More broadly, the president’s conflicts could have an impact on hopes for other legislative achievements and deregulation efforts as well as the reputation of the U.S. crypto industry on the world stage.
“We will be the laughing stocks of the world for this particular reason, and it will hold back continued investment and innovation,” Gilbert said. “There was hope for the past six months that that we could lead in the United States, and that investment should pour into crypto-related businesses, and then it will be simpler and doable again, for all companies to take a lead and to invest in crypto assets.”
However, he said, “if the GENIUS Act doesn’t pass, we’re back to square one.”
WATCH: Ether surges nearly 25% for its best week in four years: CNBC Crypto World
Volvo Cars has teased an all-new Volvo XC70 plug-in hybrid crossover with 400 hp and 200 km (approx. 125 miles) of all-electric range, giving it the longest battery-only range of any of the company’s plug-in hybrid offerings.
Built on the company’s new SMA platform for extended-range plug-in hybrids, the new XC70 resurrects an iconic name for the brand and represents an important product addition to the lineup and meet the growing demand for longer-range plug-in hybrids – especially in China, where the 2026 Volvo XC70 will be available for order later this year.
“The XC70 marks our strategic entry into the extended-range plug-in hybrid segment, a perfect bridge to full electrification,” says Håkan Samuelsson, president and returning chief executive of Volvo Cars. “[XC70] enables us to maintain and develop a balanced product portfolio, while offering a highly attractive alternative to customers who are not yet ready for fully electric cars. This is also an example of regionalization, where we adapt to the local market needs.”
Early reports indicate that the car shares a platform with the 400 hp Lynk & Co 08. It’s called the “CMA” in Lynk & Co speak, but the short version is 1.5L turbocharged engine and dual electric motors
Volvo XC70 PHEV SUV unveiled in China
Volvo is a Chinese-Swedish car brand owned by the Geely Group. The Volvo XC70 is a new PHEV SUV with all-wheel drive, designed and developed in China for the Chinese market.
The XC70 is based on the Lynk & Co 08. The wheelbase and… pic.twitter.com/mD2Ozb8SjO
— Tycho de Feijter (@TychodeFeijter) May 7, 2025
Up front, the XC70 features the same, shield-like closed grille as the brand’s newest all-electric models. It’s paired with an active grille shutter in the bumper that adjusts automatically opens and closes to to optimize for aerodynamics, cabin climate, and cooling – whatever is needed in the moment to maximize energy efficiency and, ultimately, driving range.
The trademark Volvo “Thor’s Hammer” headlight design has evolved into distinctive DRLs – the headlights on the XC70 are actually beneath those, and feature Matrix LED technology that adapts the headlights intelligently to road and traffic situations, helping to improve both visibility and safety without blinding everyone in your path.
Towards the rear, the vertical taillight design creates a modern look consistent with Volvo styling cues … styling cues, by the way, taken from the granddaddy of the entire XC line. The V70 Cross Country. Which, you know, is what “XC” is all about to begin with.
Volvo V 70 XC Cross Country
I mean, sure – the new XC70 isn’t boxy enough, but we all have to make sacrifices in the name of efficiency and ecology, right? And, frankly, if the new ES90 or EX90 models are any indication, XC70 drivers won’t be suffering too badly.
Launch is set for late Q3, with a base price of about 400.000 yuan (about $55,000 USD). No word yet on global availability.
It’s real pretty, guys
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo Cars.
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