TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING June 2019 25
prototype form in December 2016—have been built
with automated-driving hardware in place.
Bosch is a major engineering partner on the fuel cell
electric propulsion system, including the dual-motor
eAxle that delivers 1,000 hp (750 kW) and 2,000 lb-ft
(2,710 Nm), as well as other advanced connectivity
and “building block” automated technologies. Bosch
engineers in the U.S. and Germany contributed more
than 220,000 hours into the development of the
Nikola trucks over the past two and a half years, ac-
cording to Jason Roycht, VP of commercial vehicles &
off-road for Bosch in North America.
“We could start with almost a blank sheet of paper,
‘How would you approach a truck E/E architecture for
what they want to accomplish?’” Roycht explained.
“When we look to ‘forward-proofing’ this truck for
automated driving, we want to have built-in redundan-
cies and functional safety approaches to take care of
that. That’s fun engineering, figuring out how to set up
the actuation and the computing power to be fully
redundant and ready for whatever may happen.”
Over-the-air updates and monitoring are part of this
future-proofing strategy.
Roycht noted that electric vehicles require about 25%
less code compared to vehicles powered by internal-combustion en-
gines. “You don’t need to worry about emissions controls and other
optimization,” he said. “Everything we talk about here [for the Nikola
trucks] is containable in a couple state-of-the-art controllers.”
Other “building block” technologies from Bosch include its
Servotwin electric power steering system that will help to enable driv-
er-assistance features such as lane-keeping assistance, crosswind com-
pensation and traffic-jam assist. Nikola expects to be the first truck
OEM to make fully electric power steering standard on all its trucks.
Two cameras replace traditional side mirrors and feed real-time
images to high-resolution displays mounted inside the cab. The
Mirror Cam System, developed by Bosch and Mekra Lang, cap-
tures both class II and class IV field of view and adjusts the monitor
display to match the driving situation. A digital trailer panning fea-
ture shifts the view of the mirror system as the truck and trailer turn.
And the digital cameras offer aerodynamic advantages by reducing
drag compared to much-larger traditional mirrors, (see pg. 28).
“What we now need is a change of the regulation to provide this
system as a standard product for commercial vehicles,” said Juergen
Stachl, director of sales and engineering at Mekra Lang North America.
For the Nikola One and Two, the unobstructed mid-cab entry be-
hind the seats enables the driver position to be moved forward by
almost 4 feet compared to a conventional diesel truck. Steps deploy
automatically as the driver approaches the truck and retract after he
or she enters the cab. The sidewalls have been moved out compared
to the previous prototype to allow easier passage between the seats.
Aerodynamic drag is reduced by 20-30% due to the streamlined
design, according to Milton.
Other suppliers and partners on-site in Scottsdale to discuss their
contributions to Nikola’s vehicles included Mahle, Meritor, Pratt & Miller,
TE Connectivity, WABCO and maintenance partner Ryder System.Hydrogen fueling and standardization
Before the Nikola One, Two and Tre can hit the highways, a hydrogen
fueling network must be established. Key to Nikola’s strategy is toVEHICLE DEVELOPMENT FEATURE“We want Tesla to succeed. There’s
enough room for everyone to win. If
they fail, it hurts us dramatically.”
- Nikola CEO Trevor Milton
Nikola Two e-axle features two liquid-cooled motors and a single-speed gearbox
with independent drive of each side.