Nikola begins production of the Tre BEV semi-trailer
Nikola, that infamous American truck builder, is seeing better days today than a few years ago. After multiple allegations of fraud and various spurious business schemes were used, the craze for the company collapsed. However, hope seems to be reborn, since on Monday March 21, Nikola announced during a quarterly conference on the company’s financial results that production of its Tre BEV had begun.
The company’s new CEO, Mark Russel, claimed in February 2022 that Nikola would be able to produce between 300 and 500 units of its Tre BEV model in the coming year. Russel did not offer further details as to the potential revenue that could be generated as a result of the sale of these models.
These units can also travel up to 563 kilometers on a full charge while supporting a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 37,200 kilograms in addition to offering a theoretical recharge time of 120 minutes to recharge the battery. from 10 to 80%.
This news also had an impact on the markets, since the listed stock of Nikola saw its value climb by 15% on Tuesday, March 22, following the news listed the day before.
The start of production of the Tre BEV is therefore very well received, so that Nikola seems to be taking the lead against its main competitor, Tesla. Sure enough, Tesla is encountering some supply glitches for its Model Semi, which promises to disrupt the freight transportation industry. This is therefore a golden opportunity for Nikola, who could not only take the lead in this race against time, but also regain a reputation worthy of that which had once been attributed to him by the automotive industry. .
Recall that in 2018, the company gained popularity when it unveiled its very first “working” prototype, a 100% electric semi-trailer type truck with capabilities never before seen at the time. Partnerships and pre-orders followed, with among others General Motors announcing in September 2020 a massive investment of 2 billion US dollars in the Nikola company.
However, things did not go as planned, Quickly, the presentation of the 2018 prototype was labeled as fraudulent, as Nikola’s truck was just using gravity to move along a road at negative tilt. In addition, allegations of fraud have weighed against Trevor Milton, founder of the company, damaging the reputation of the start-up.
