Nikola Corporation unveiled earlier this year the Badger, the automaker's first-ever electric pickup truck. Recently the company confirmed that the Tesla Cybertruck's rival would be available for reservations by the end of Jun 2020. The pickup truck should be able to drive up to 600 miles, 50% of which from its battery and the remaining from its hydrogen fuel cell.
US electric vehicle maker Tesla drew a lot of interests with the launch of its Cybertruck. GMC at the Super Bowl teased its electric Hummer truck earlier. However, in Mar 2020, Nicola officially debuted its Badger electric pickup truck preceding the announcements of a couple of auto giants.
On Monday, Nikola founder Trevor Milton shared on Twitter that the company is planning to open reservations for the Badger beginning Jun 29. With the reservation, future owners would not only receive the Nikola Badger first, but they will also get first the Nikola World 2020 tickets ahead of others. For the uninitiated, the upcoming event would showcase the electric pickup truck in the later part of 2020.
In terms of pricing, the consensus is that the Nikola Badger would retail between $60,000 and $90,000 depending on the option selected, Milton noted. The company has not yet released the available options for its electric pickup truck. Nikola is planning to release the Badger in the US and Australian markets initially.
Nikola is known for its heavy-duty electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. Its range of vehicles includes off-roading power sport vehicles, semi-trucks, and jet ski-like watercraft. It is the first time that the company enters the not yet crowded electric pickup truck market.
We open up reservations for the most bad ass zero emission truck on June 29th. See the @nikolamotor Badger in person at #nikolaworld2020 this year. You'll get to see a real operating truck, not a fake show truck. Expect stamped metal panels, functioning interior w/ hvac, 4x4, etc pic.twitter.com/SkY9zV0bbs — Trevor Milton (@nikolatrevor) June 8, 2020
A recent statement from its CEO revealed that the Nikola Badger program has been in the works for years. Milton believes that the market is now ready for a truck that could handle a whole day's work without running out of juice. Interested buyers will have the choice of purchasing a Battery-electric (BEV) or Joint battery and fuel-cell electric (FCEV) hydrogen-powered Badger.
The upcoming Nikola Badger can operate on BEV and FCEV anytime. The combination of both power sources enables the pickup to achieve a range of 600 miles. This feat exceeds that of Tesla Cybertruck's most pricey tri-motor by 100 miles. For future owners who do not want the hydrogen alternative, the Nikola Badger has a 160-kilowatt-hour battery with a range of 300 miles.
