Yet another electric pickup enters the fray! Nikola Motor Company just announced the Badger pickup, but this is not just another EV. The automaker claims fewer emissions, more power, and longer range thanks to hydrogen fuel-cell technology.
Nikola Motor will offer the forthcoming Badger pickup truck in both fuel-cell electric and battery-electric versions. And the brand says it will build the new truck “in conjunction with another OEM.” We expect an announcement on just who that will be to come later this year.
Regardless, the stats on the new truck are impressive: 0-60 in 2.9 seconds is fast! Early specs show a massive 906 peak horsepower, with a very respectable 455 continuous horsepower.
Torque (980 pound-feet) and towing capacity (8,000-plus pounds) are solid, but not all that competitive with the large crop of electric trucks headed to market next year.
“Nikola has billions’ worth of technology in our semi-truck program, so why not build it into a pickup truck?” said CEO Trevor Milton.
“I have been working on this pickup program for years and believe the market is now ready for something that can handle a full day’s worth of work without running out of energy. This electric truck can be used for work, weekend getaways, towing, off-roading, or to hit the ski slopes without performance loss — no other electric pickup can operate in these temperatures and conditions.”
Nikola Motor Badger Pickup: Born From Semis
As a testament to its commitment to cleaner vehicles, Nikola has already raised billions in funding to bring a hydrogen fuel-cell semi-truck to market in 2021. And with prototypes currently on the road, the brand appears well on its way.
Still, the biggest hurdle for any hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle is the availability of hydrogen fueling stations. As yet, there are very few across the country.
But Nikola plans to roll out 700 stations across North America soon. And the brand plans to have these stations make hydrogen from water and renewable electric power, not natural gas, to reduce total carbon emissions.