Does the Tesla Semi have anything to worry about?
We’ve been following Nikola Motors since it was founded in 2014, and now it has officially launched its first product, which isn’t new nor entirely designed by Nikola.
The company started promising enough with a pickup truck meant to be called the Badger. It even got GM to invest $2 billion mere weeks before the startup was nailed for fraud. The CEO resigned, Nikola had to pay a $125 million settlement, and we thought that was the end.
Nikola was still busy operating in the background, working on a new truck. This truck is not a Ford F-150 Lightning or Cybertruck rival but rather a semi-truck hauler, and it was unveiled this week.
Nikola Motor
Nikola Motor
Nikola Motor
In truth, it’s not a Nikola product at all. While the snout may have a big “N” pasted to the front, the chassis comes straight from Iveco.
Nikola’s assembly plant in Arizona bolts a third-party electric powertrain into the previously mentioned Iveco.
The result is called the Tre, and it comes with an electric motor mounted on the rear axle, transferring 645 horsepower to the road. Nikola claims a top speed of 75 mph. Nikola also says that it will get up to 62 mph in roughly half the time it takes a normal semi-truck to do the same.
Nikola Motor
Nikola Motor
Nikola Motor
The battery feeding the electric motor is an absolute monster. It’s a 753 kWh battery pack, which we must put into context. The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT is equipped with a 91 kWh battery pack, which gives it enough grunt to get to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. That means the Nikola’s battery pack is roughly eight times bigger than the most powerful Mach-E.
Nikola’s truck is aimed at the upcoming Tesla Semi, and it’s meant to be a long-range hauler. We’re not sure it will work, as the current claimed range on the website is 350 miles with a recharge time of two hours from 10 percent to 80 percent.
As for capabilities, the truck has a GCWR of 82,012 lbs with a fully loaded trailer and can climb a 6% grade at 36 mph.
Don’t think is a sign that the Badger might still happen though, the pickup truck is officially dead in the water.
Nikola Motor
Nikola Motor
