Nikola, the troubled start-up company that General Motors had previously planned to acquire an equity stake in, has received an order for 10 of its battery-electric Nikola Tre semi-trucks.

Illinois-based trucking company Heniff Transportation Systems announced this week it had placed an order for 10 Nikola Tre trucks to be delivered in the first half of 2022. If this initial order goes to plan, the company also has an option to purchase an additional 90 examples of the trucks for a total of 100. The order was placed through Thompson Truck Centers, which is one of Nikola's U.S. retailers.

"The agreement between Heniff Transportation and Thompson Truck Centers is a fleet-as-a-service model where Thompson will provide the sales, service, maintenance, and energy infrastructure required to operate the Nikola Tre BEV trucks. Deliveries are expected to commence first half of 2022," Heniff Transportation said in a statement.

"Heniff is a family of companies recognized as a leader in liquid bulk transportation, rail transloading, ISO depot operations, tank cleaning, and related maintenance," the company also said.