Alberta's 1st Hydrogen Station Returned To US As Nikola Files For Bankruptcy; CEO Had Fraud Conviction, Got Trump Pardon

[hatrack]

Alberta’s first commercial hydrogen fuelling station has been shipped back to the United States, and its American owner Nikola has filed for bankruptcy. The removal came weeks before a national hydrogen conference in Edmonton, beginning Tuesday. DeSmog has previously reported on a fraud investigation that found the company’s founder Trevor Milton had used a staged video to create the false impression that the Nikola One prototype was capable of moving under its own power, when in fact the truck was rolling downhill. Milton has also been pardoned by U.S President Donald Trump.

Nikola has featured prominently at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention with vehicle prototypes on display and company spokespeople in attendance on panels in previous years. The hydrogen station opened in March 2024 and was described as a “huge milestone” by the Alberta provincial government. The press conference that launched the newly closed Nikola station came long after the settlement of the fraud investigation became public. Nor was that the only bad press the company faced. Nikola made headlines in September 2020 when BP backed out of a hydrogen station partnership deal for a network of fueling stations. Trevor Milton then left the company.

The station was installed last year in a private deal between Blackjacks roadhouse, a truck stop outside of Edmonton, and Nikola. DeSmog reached out to Blackjacks owner Clarence Shields but did not receive a reply.

EDIT

In March 2024, Alberta officials said the Nikola station was “a huge milestone in advancing Alberta as a global energy supplier,” Brian Jean, the minister of energy and minerals, said in a press release on Nikola’s page. “Hydrogen is the next step in our commitment to reducing emissions, and projects like this demonstrate that we have the resources, expertise, and interest in our province to drive innovation and become leading suppliers of responsibly produced clean hydrogen.” The federal Liberals also celebrated the installation. “This milestone is a testament both to the region’s strength and expertise in driving Canada’s hydrogen future, and also to our shared vision of supporting a healthy environment and thriving economy,” said Randy Boissonnault, then minister of employment.

EDIT

https://www.desmog.com/2025/04/23/albertas-first-commercial-hydrogen-fuelling-station-removed-ahead-of-edmonton-expo/

[NNadir]

1. As a fossil fuel producing area, hydrogen is the perfect scam to...

...greenwash their product.

The scam has been running half a century now and only carbon sequestration rivals it for marketing bullshit.