Nikola: New start-up promises to 2000HP electric truck and 2000 km range
Nikola Motor Company wants to look out on the electric vehicle market with two products: a roadster SUV and a truck from 2000 km of autonomy.
If it is true that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then Elon Musk should be glad to know that there is a start-up that calls itself as its Tesla. Nikola is a new company that intends to produce electric vehicles and energy storage components, but not only takes its name from the company to Musk.
Even the approach to the category is very similar, with Nikola, which intends to start its journey with a sports roadster for use in off-road (that of Tesla was instead based on Elise).
Nikola Zero uses an electric engine 520HP and a 50kWh battery, capable of reaching 60 mph in only 3 seconds. Traction is back and in the dashboard are three displays. The launch price will be $42,000, with the first real prototypes (there currently only render the vehicle) that will be shown to the public later this year.
It is certainly Nikola One the most interesting vehicle, in which the start-up wants to deliver the best of electric technology for the truck industry, eliminating the compromises. According to the specifications issued by One company is a tractor to 2000hp for nearly 2000 km of autonomy on a single charge of the built-in battery, to 320kWh. The cost in this case will be much higher, as is natural considering especially the only professional vocation of a vehicle of this type. There is talk of $375,000.
The advantages of a vehicle of this type are extremely comprehensible to anyone: the direct environmental impact of vehicle traffic, compared to a price with petrol engine or diesel, would be much lower; but also the maintenance costs for the companies would be revised downward. Thanks to the regeneration technology of charge through braking, and the lower cost of ” fuel “, Nikola promises maintenance costs close to 0.
On two vehicles, there is still a lot of skepticism. It is clear that Nikola’s ads appear particularly interesting and very high-sounding, this probably because the company is seeking the right investments to enable it to launch production of the products. As long as this does not really happen, we consider it is right to accept the promises of Nikola with the sacrosanct benefit of the doubt.
