Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey celebrated the start of production and initial shipments to customers of Nikola Corporation’s zero-emission vehicles in Coolidge.
“When I first met with Nikola, I was blown away by their technology and innovative spirit. I hadn’t seen anything like it,” Ducey said while visiting Nikola’s manufacturing facility in Coolidge. “Nikola has become a driving force in Arizona’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle industry. Watching this innovative company grow and put down roots in Arizona has been truly incredible, and I know it’s only getting started. With the beginning of production at this manufacturing facility, Nikola is clearly in the driver’s seat of the future of transportation and commerce. Thank you to the entire Nikola team, Sandra Watson and the Arizona Commerce Authority, our partners at the legislature, and local leaders for supporting this phenomenal project.”
The Phoenix-based Nikola hosted a tour of its new one-million-square-foot facility with the governor, other elected officials, and suppliers.
During the tour, Governor Ducey rode in a Nikola Tre BEV truck firsthand.
The company launched the production of its Nikola Tre BEV truck last month, less than two years after it broke ground at the facility in July 2020.
“Today is an extraordinary day that we have been looking forward to for a long time, and I’m grateful for the vision and commitment of those who have been here from the beginning,” Nikola’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Russell said during the event. “I can tell you, as a matter of historical fact, none of us would be sitting here today if not for the immediate intervention of the great governor of the great state of Arizona, Doug Ducey.”
This year, the facility can produce 2,500 trucks. However, it plans to expand in the coming years and produce 20,000 trucks per year.
“With our world-class universities and community colleges, Arizona has some of the best engineering and manufacturing talent in the country,” President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority Sandra Watson said in the release. “Nikola not only is a top employer in the region, they are attracting top tier suppliers to further grow Arizona’s robust electric vehicle supply chain. We are incredibly grateful to the entire Nikola team for choosing Arizona to help meet their vision and we are excited for the company’s bright future.”
Nikola chose Arizona for its billion-dollar electric semi-truck plant in 2018. In its decision, the company cited the state’s infrastructure, skilled labor pool, and year-round sunshine.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
