Nikola Corp. announced its plans to build an electric pick-up truck that will be known as the Nikola Badger. The truck is to cover a mileage of 600 miles. The building is to be done by a company that hasn't yet been named, the parts of the truck are also to be provided by the unnamed company. According to Nikola's spokesperson, there has been lots of interest in the truck building. However, the company is adamant that it will make no reservations this year, and will, therefore, continue talks with the original manufacturers.
The truck is set to come in two versions, the battery-electric and the fuel cell versions, with the BEV, expected to cover up to a range of 300 miles. Mark Russell, president of Phoenix-based Nikola Corp, reiterated that thee versions would offer the customer variety. Nikola CEO Trevor Milton said that they had been working on the product for years, and he added that they would be offering the market something that would last the entire day without wearing out. He said that the truck would be designed in a way that allows it to be immune to different environmental conditions. Heavy D, a star from 'Diesel Brothers', is on board as a partner.
When fully loaded, the truck is expected to launch without any stalling, as per the company’s reports. The different specifications of the truck are dependent on whether it’s a BEV or FCEV only on the temperature, elevation, tires, wheels, software packages, production requirements, hardware, and regulations. The move by Nikola is an emulation of what Tesla, Ford Motor Co., General Motors, and Workhorse offer.
The prototype is expected to be available during the autumn, in Phoenix. Electrification is viewed as the future of the industry, in addition to offering options in terms of power sources. The move is also a means of compliance with the emissions rules, as California moves to be one of the states that would require sellers to offer a portion of the truck sales to be zero-emission trucks. The move is to curb greenhouse emissions as the trucking industry contributes to the same the most.
