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The Nikola Badger Can Tow Over 8,000 Pounds On Hydrogen Power

Hydrogen vehicles haven’t taken off quite as we expected them to. Toyota is still pushing the alternative energy source, as are a few smaller startups, but Nikola is taking its hydrogen-powered truck to the next level. They say the Badger can tow over 8,000 pounds, and this is very exciting.

The concept was revealed back in 2016 where they also promised to build a hydrogen fueling network. Now, they’ve booked several billion dollars worth of sales in pre-orders, according to the company, but we’re yet to see or hear about any vehicle being produced.

That being said, they’ve revealed that they’re now focussing on this hydrogen fuel cell/battery electric vehicle hybrid pickup, spurred on by their impressive knowledge in the field. “Nikola has billions worth of technology in our semi-truck program, so why not build it into a pickup truck?” Nikola CEO Trevor Milton said.

While nothing physical is yet to be seen, the company is promising a range of 600 miles on a single full tank of hydrogen, and the power to tow an 8,000lb load up a 30% incline. That’s very impressive.  On top of that, a 0-60mph time of 2.9 seconds is expected thanks to total power figures of 906hp and 98 ft. lbs of torque. It gets better.

It has a rechargeable battery that alone has a range of 300 miles just in case you can’t get to one of the 700 hydrogen stations that are being built across North America.

Nikola says the Badger will be better than every other electric pickup on the market – easy to say when there are currently none.

“The Nikola Badger is a game changer. The program will help drive down the cost of the fuel-cell components on our semi-truck while accelerating the hydrogen station rollout. Giving customers the option to order a fuel-cell or battery electric version will ensure we drive the cost down for everyone across our lineup,” said Mark Russell, president of Nikola Corporation.

Do we believe it? I think that’s the main question here. Only time will tell.

 

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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