A startup has a grand vision to make hydrogen trucks a reality by 2020 - here's its plan

Nikola Motor Company

The hydrogen-powered-vehicle industry is still a nascent field that has yet to show real signs of going mainstream.

Yet, major automakers are exploring the technology because it gives vehicles shorter re-fill times and longer ranges than plug-in electric vehicles. General Motors and Honda, for example, are investing $85 million as part of a joint venture to mass produce hydrogen fuel cells in 2020.

Honda's hydrogen car, the Honda Clarity, has the longest range of any zero-emission vehicle at 366 miles. Toyota also leases its hydrogen car, the Toyota Mirai, in California.

But without the necessary infrastructure to support the vehicles, they stand little chance of being used outside of California. For reference, there are 15,510 electric charging stations in the United States, and only 33 hydrogen stations in the entire US, according to the US Department of Energy.

Startup Nikola Motor Company, which unveiled its hydrogen-electric truck in December, plans to change that. Nikola plans to build over 300 hydrogen stations so that its trucks can travel across the country.

Nikola plans to build over 300 hydrogen stations so that its trucks can travel across the country.

We spoke with the startup's founder and CEO Trevor Milton and he shared more details about how his company's plans to build out these stations, while also disrupting the trucking industry.