Nikola, Anheuser-Busch make first ‘zero-emission’ delivery

Anheuser-Busch, in partnership with Nikola Motor Company and BYD Motors, completed Thursday a zero-emission beer delivery in the brewer’s hometown of St. Louis.

Nikola’s hydrogen-electric truck picked up the load of beer and delivered it to Anheuser-Busch local wholesaler partner, Lohr Distributors, marking the first commercial delivery using a Nikola hydrogen-electric vehicle.

Lohr Distributors then delivered the beer to the Enterprise Center, home of the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues, on a BYD electric truck.

Last year, Anheuser-Busch placed an order for up to 800 Nikola hydrogen-electric powered semi-trucks and announced a pilot project with BYD in California last month at four Anheuser-Busch distribution facilities across southern California. The 21 BYD electric trucks, as well as a 958.5 kW solar array to charge the vehicles, will be implemented this year as the largest Class 8 electric truck deployment in North America. 

Nikola Chief Executive Officer Trevor Milton said the Phoenix-area truck maker is “now preparing production vehicles for Anheuser-Busch, and plan on delivering the trucks as fast as possible.” 

Anheuser-Busch is hosting more than 100 strategic suppliers and partners in St. Louis this week for their inaugural Eclipse Summit to discuss best practices and align on collective action in sustainability. Both Nikola and BYD will be participating in the summit to highlight their cutting-edge technology and the impact of their partnerships with the brewer. 

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