Nikola founder and CEO Trevor Milton was upset about flying into Long Beach, California, this week to attend the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.
“I love to fly. I’m a pilot as well,” he told the crowd at the Expo’s general session. “And I come down into Long Beach this morning and what do I go through? A giant cloud of not just fog, but pollution stuck to it.”
Milton struck a chord with the audience, many of whom applauded when he talked about how his generation was fed up with lack-luster efforts to reduce pollution.
“I think my generation doesn’t care anymore. They’re so tired about the crap that was left to us,” he said. “My generation is tired of seeing the smog and the pollution.”
Milton sees diesel-burning trucks as being a big contributor to air pollution in the U.S. and believes the push to ban diesel in Europe is gaining momentum in the U.S.
“Hashtag diesel is dead. Emissions game over. We’re tired of it,” he said. “We need to fix a lot of the problems and change things. Other people are not going to do it unless they’re forced to, so if that means we have to force them, it’s about damn time.”
While Milton believes his company’s fuel cell and all-electric trucks can help reduce pollution, getting there won’t be easy as both powertrains come with their own unique challenges.
