Nikola Corporation and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. announced an agreement in which subsidiary J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. will purchase 13 Nikola zero-emission Class 8 trucks as the transportation company focuses on its sustainability efforts and reducing the intensity of its carbon emissions.

The initial truck order will include 10 battery-electric and three hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, with delivery of the first vehicles expected in August 2023.

These trucks will be strategically located at facilities servicing J.B. Hunt’s key routes, including in the greater Los Angeles and Phoenix areas. Nikola’s hydrogen arm, HYLA, will supply the hydrogen and fueling infrastructure.

In November 2022, J.B. Hunt set a goal to reduce carbon emission intensity 32% by 2034 (with a 2019 baseline). Incorporating alternative powered equipment into its fleet is one of three key focus areas in reaching the goal.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the company took delivery of its first company-owned Class 8 electric vehicle. In 2017, J.B. Hunt was one of the first companies to place an order for an all-electric heavy-duty Class 8 truck and began incorporating electric vehicles into operations in 2023.

In addition to electric vehicles, J.B. Hunt is helping reduce carbon emissions through intermodal conversion. Over the past decade, J.B. Hunt’s intermodal service has helped avoid an estimated 30 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions from over-the-road truck transportation.