Christian Appel

Global Head, Product & Program at Nikola Motors

Advisor, Speaker

Christian Appel, began working at Nikola Corporation in 2017, initially joining during an international assignment as Customer Chief Engineer for Bosch. Today, as the Global Head, Product and Programs at Nikola, Appel spearheads the Product Management, PMO, Chief Engineering, Vehicle Architecture, and Validation teams, overseeing the successful delivery of all vehicle programs, including production ramp-up.

A recognized leader in electrification, Christian brings expertise in electric propulsion, energy storage, fuel cell systems, ADAS, vehicle control systems, and has led numerous developmental programs in electrification across diverse applications.

With a German Diploma in Mathematics from Stuttgart University, Christian serves as a vital member of the Million Miles Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) advisory board, contributing to a Department of Energy (DOE) funded consortium. This consortium, formed by five primary National Laboratories, addresses durability and efficiency challenges in PEMFCs for heavy-duty applications. Joining Nikola, Christian exemplifies a commitment to advancing electric mobility and driving transformative change in the industry.