Nicolas Badger became the first electric pickup truck with a hydrogen range extender

Posted on February 11, 2020
Electric cars
Nicolas Badger became the first electric pickup truck with a hydrogen range extender

A company known for its electric semi-trailer trucks previewed an electric pickup truck scheduled to be unveiled in September.

That company was Nikola, which first burst onto the scene in 2016 when it unveiled a Class 8 semi with an extended range electric powertrain, the One, whose range extender was a hydrogen fuel cell stack.

Nikola later announced two more range-extending semis (Two and Tre), two battery-powered electric four-wheel buggies, and plans to install its own hydrogen fueling stations across the country. The company plans to source hydrogen from solar power plants that produce the fuel through electrolysis of water.

The pickup truck, named Badger, will also feature a long-range powertrain with a hydrogen range extender. Nikola promises a range of 300 miles on batteries alone and another 300 miles with hydrogen.

The pickup will be larger at about 232 inches in length, but will offer supercar-like performance thanks to its peak output of 906 horsepower and 980 pound-feet of torque. This is enough to accelerate to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Towing capacity is 8,000 lbs.

No other company has announced an electric pickup with a hydrogen fuel cell range extender. General Motors announced a new GMC Hummer EV in May, and Ford is set to launch a battery-electric version of its redesigned F-150.

Tesla has also announced a cybertruck, but the model's odd styling is in a class of its own.

Nikola has not yet begun production of the truck, but has already received more than 13,000 pre-orders. The company plans to build a plant in Pinal County, Arizona, with the goal of being fully operational by 2024, but no production start date has yet been announced.

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