Nikola Motor Company: The EV startup with the worst, most obvious name ever
However, whereas Tesla got its start with a diminutive, sporty roadster, Nikola (seriously, where's the originality?) is rolling out two products simultaneously -- the Nikola One and Nikola Zero.
The Nikola One is a 2,000-horsepower semi truck cab promising 1,200 miles of range from its 320-kWh battery, which you never have to plug in because a natural-gas-powered turbine allegedly charges batteries while driving, sort of similar to a Chevrolet Volt (minus the CNG turbine part). It will cost \\$375,000, but you can put down only \\$1,500 for a deposit.
The Nikola Zero is a 520-horsepower off-road vehicle (think Polaris RZR) with a 50-kWh battery, a 0-60mph time of 3 seconds, rear-wheel steering and three displays. This bad boy will set you back \\$42,000, but deposits are half that of the truck, at just \\$750. Neither vehicle actually exists yet -- prototypes won't be unveiled until later this year.
I'm all for new startups in the EV market, but this has all the makings of proper vaporware. First, the name is a clear cachet-grab -- at least Faraday Future had the foresight to use a different scientist. Second, this company is trying to market \\$375,000 trucks and \\$42,000 off-roaders side by side, with deposits that are a pittance compared with the eventual MSRP. Even with modest support, that's not going to raise enough capital to kick-start production of two wildly different vehicles.
Color me skeptical.
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