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Nikola Badger Electric Pickup to Be Made by GM, Ultium Batteries on Deck

The Badger is a funky-named electric pickup truck that should give the oldtimers and newcomers in the segment the chills. It has been brought into the world by one of Tesla’s most vocal competitors, Nikola, at the beginning of the year, and just got a major kick toward production after a surprise announcement made by Nikola and General Motors.
Nikola Badger 12 photos
Photo: Nikola
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The American auto giant just became Nikola’s manufacturing partner, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Not only will GM handle the production of the pickup, but it would also provide certain crucial hardware.

More precisely, GM’s expected-to-be-revolutionary Ultium battery system will make its way into the electric variant of the Badger. The other version of the pickup, the fuel-cell, will also use GM-tech, more precisely the Hydrotec technology.

In exchange for its involvement in making the Badger, GM would receive 11 percent ownership of Nikola and right to nominate one director. Nikola will keep the Badger brand, and will handle sales and marketing.

“This strategic partnership with Nikola, an industry leading disrupter, continues the broader deployment of General Motors’ all-new Ultium battery and Hydrotec fuel cell systems,” said in a statement GM CEO Mary Barra.

“We are growing our presence in multiple high-volume EV segments while building scale to lower battery and fuel cell costs and increase profitability. In addition, applying General Motors’ electrified technology solutions to the heavy-duty class of commercial vehicles is another important step in fulfilling our vision of a zero-emissions future.”

The Badger is expected to hit the market by the end of 2022. The BEV comes with 300 miles range (483 km) and an acceleration time to 60 mph of 2.9 seconds, while the FCEV should provide a range of 600 miles (966 km). The power rating for the EV is over 900 hp.

Nikola is already accepting pre-orders for the model, asking for $5,000 upfront.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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