Nikola Motors, the defacto Tesla Motors copycat with a hydrogen twist, introduced that they began taking $5,000 deposits for a pickup truck that solely exists in renders and that they solely plan to make attributable to Tesla Cybertruck.
Whereas Nikola is the one suing Tesla for allegedly copying them, Nikola has undoubtedly been following in Tesla’s footsteps.
Clearly, they determined to make use of Nikola Tesla’s first title after Tesla used the famed inventor’s final title. Additionally, after Tesla launched its “Tesla Energy” division, Nikola shortly adopted with its personal ‘Nikola Energy’.
Now that Tesla is making an electrical pickup truck — the Cybertruck — Nikola can be making its personal, and it’s straight associated to the Cybertruck.
Earlier than Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck final 12 months, Trevor Milton, founding father of Nikola Motors, tweeted renders of a pickup truck that the corporate created and urged that Tesla might use these for the Cybertruck since Nikola didn’t plan to construct a pickup truck.
The remark gave the impression to be tongue-in-cheek since Nikola can be accusing Tesla of stealing its design for its electrical semi-truck.
Nevertheless, after Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck and its polarizing design, Milton mentioned that he now plans for Nikola to construct the car named Badger:
“We were not planning on it if he built a good looking truck. I was waiting to be first on the list, but I would never buy a Cybertruck. The Badger is what I was hoping Tesla would build design wise. So if he won’t, I will. Now our interest is sky high and why wouldn’t I?”
In February, they introduced their plans for the Nikola Badger with a battery/fuel-cell hybrid powertrain enabling 600 miles of vary, 0-60 mph acceleration in 2.9 seconds, and launched a couple of renders:
Months later, we nonetheless haven’t seen a working prototype of the pickup truck, however right now, the corporate determined to start out taking reservations with deposits for the Badger.
Mockingly, two years in the past, Nikola made a giant deal of reimbursing all reservations holders for its semi-trucks as a result of it didn’t like to make use of deposits:
“Great news! All reservations will be refunded 100% and you won’t lose your place in line. We don’t use your money to operate our business. We want everyone to know we have never used a dollar of deposit money to operate the company on like other companies do.”
The point out of “other companies” was believed to be a jab at Tesla who is understood to make use of this reservation model with deposits.
Nikola is now taking $5,000 deposits to order the pickup truck, which gained’t be unveiled till December.
The corporate has additionally partnered with the Diesel Brothers from the Discovery TV present. The 2 brothers are going to get beneficiant stock compensation for each Badger offered by Nikola, and with the latter’s valuation capturing as much as $25 billion, the Diesel Brothers would obtain tens of millions if the pickup ever makes it to market.
Electrek’s Take
The sequence of occasions that led to this exhibits lots about Nikola Motors.
Lower than a 12 months in the past, Milton was saying that Nikola won’t make a pickup truck. That they had no plan to construct something aside from having a couple of renders.
Then Tesla unveils the Cybertruck, and Milton unveils the design.
Bear in mind, they solely have renders at this level, and but, they announce a bunch of specs — loopy spectacular ones too.
5 months later, they nonetheless don’t have a prototype to indicate, however they begin taking reservations with deposits — one thing they seemed down on not too way back.
The best way it seems to me is that Nikola makes a bunch of claims about what they may do, generate a bunch of hype with reservations, after which attempt to determine it out from there.
I feel it is likely to be true of Nikola’s different merchandise too. Bloomberg just lately reported that Milton exaggerated when he mentioned the semi-truck they unveiled again in 2016 was a working prototype, and I additionally heard that the powertrain was nowhere close to completed when the truck was unveiled.
Briefly, I’d avoid Nikola till they’ll truly show that they’ll ship a product.
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