Electric truck maker Nikola has lost Jesse Schneider, the company’s EVP of Technology in charge of hydrogen and fuel cells, according to Automotive News.
Schneider has left the company, effective April 1, to pioneer renewable-energy-powered electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations as the CEO and CTO of ZEV Station. He was a core member of Nikola’s fuel cell development program, which is a central component of its automotive ambitions.
Unlike other major electric car companies like Tesla or Rivian, which are pursuing battery electric vehicles, Nikola is relying on the adoption of hydrogen fuel cells to power its designs. Alongside Nikola, both Toyota and Hyundai are also interesting in creating an electric vehicle based on hydrogen fuel cells.
In an emailed statement published by Automotive News, Schneider called it an “honor to lead the hydrogen and fuel cell development teams of the Nikola Two and soon-to-be-released Tre Fuel Cell prototypes with Iveco and Bosch.”
His departure is just another hurdle Nikola must face in the wake of its failed partnership with General Motors. The automotive titan abandoned a planned consumer vehicle project with Nikola, forcing the hydrogen-electric truck company to cancel its Badger pickup venture entirely.
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