Electric vehicles are gaining in popularity and market share, the most recent example being the Tesla Model 3, which has racked up over 400,000 pre-orders since its debut less than two months ago. Now comes another electric automaker, Nikola Motors, which is debuting with a 520 horsepower UTV concept and ambitions of building all-electric long-haul trucks. Can Nikola be the next Tesla?
Built in partnership with Pratt and Miller, the same folks behind Corvette Racing and the C7.R race car, the Nikola Zero concept was designed to really encompass the “all” part of all-terrain vehicles. Each wheel gets its own electric motor rated at up to 155 horsepower, and the combined output of all four motors together is good for 520 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque. A 400-volt 50 kWh lithium-ion battery pack offers between 100 and 150 miles of range, which is more than a Nissan LEAF but about half what a top-of-the-line Tesla offers.
Both the motors and gearbox have the coveted IP67 waterproof rating that means they are completely safe from dust and resistant to immersion in water up to 3 feet. The Zero also comes with a drive-by-wire rear-steering system that allows the rear wheels to rotate up to 10 degrees at lower speeds to assist with tight turns. Optional features include 300-watts worth of rooftop solar panels, a 10-inch touch screen, 4G LTE WiFi connectivity, and an on-board air compressor.
Pricing for the concept starts at $42,000, with the first 5,000 pre-orders getting an additional $5,000 off. If those numbers all seem a bit ambitious, than the Nikola One electric semi-truck is truly “out there” as it were. Boasting a 320 kWh battery pack and an onboard turbine range extender that can run on virtually any fuel, the Nikola One can supposedly go up to 1,200 miles between fuel refills and battery recharges, and at half the cost of today’s diesel semi trucks. Pricing starts at $375,000, and Nikola is taking reservations for the One as well.
Until Nikola proves otherwise, we suggest filing both of these concepts under vaporware. Neat, but vaporware all the same.