Hybrid truck company Nikola unveils the Nikola Badger, the latest model in its lineup of electric vehicles. Unlike the usual vehicles Nikola manufactures, the Badger is a pickup truck which can be used by the average American family.
Although the Badger will have to stay underground until the annual Nikola World event later in the year, pre-orders for the truck can be made starting June 29.
Founder and CEO Trevor Milton explain that those who pre-ordered their vehicles will also be receiving tickets to the Nikola World 2020 expo before it becomes available to the general public. In a statement he made, Milton said that he has been working on the pickup program for quite some time and now believes that the market is ready for a energy-effcient vehicle that can do a full day's work.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona where it also houses its research and development operations, the Nikola Motor Company was founded in 2014 in Salt Lake City, Utah naming after the inventor Nikola Tesla.
Nikola Badger Features
Other than the fact that the Badger can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour at an impressive 2.9 seconds, it also has a horsepower of 906, can travel up to 600 miles (for fuel-cell/battery-electric hybrid while the battery-electric version will only offer half of that mileage), and can tow up to 8,000 pounds.
What makes this 5-seater pickup truck unique is that the power source can either be a hydrogen fuel-cell based one or a battery-electric based vehicle that can be interchangeable as an upgrade anytime after purchase.
With regards to the interior of the car, Milton tweeted that the car's floor mounting system is made to secure anything placed on the vehicle safely. It is also apparently waterproof and contains a hidden fridge. The truck is measures at 9.36 feet long, 6.07 feet tall, 7.09 feet wide, and has a bed width of 5.12 feet. No price has been released yet.
I wanted to post something no one has seen. @nikolamotor badger pre-production interior CAD. Notice the floor mounting system? It's throughout the truck and made to secure any loads within the vehicle safely. See quality of everything - waterproof. Hidden Fridge too:) pic.twitter.com/EttmrOuqA4 — Trevor Milton (@nikolatrevor) June 8, 2020
Milton's Income to Increase up to $8 Billion due to stock surges
There has been a gaining interest towards hydrogen-based heavy-duty trucks and long-haul vehicles as their fuel cell power systems are reportedly much lighter than batteries and can be refueled just the same as diesel-based and gas-based vehicles.
With plans to build at least 700 hydrogen refueling stations around North America in an effort to support its vehicles, the Nikola founder believes that the time is ripe to increase production in "greener" cars that can also contribute to the preservation of the environment.
