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Nikola NZT Electric Buggy Shows Up in Public, on the Muddy Tracks from 2021

When it’s not busy bragging about electric trucks we’re yet to see or going after Tesla and its employees in more than one ways, electric vehicle maker Nikola is in the business of designing rather interesting machines.
Nikola NZT 6 photos
Photo: Nikola
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In a world where electric cars are all the industry talks about, the number of electric vehicles meant mostly for off-roading is surprisingly small. In fact, aside for the recently introduced Volkswagen ID Buggy concept, there’s virtually no worth-mentioning true off-roader powered by good old electricity.

This week, during an event it hosted in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nikola Motors unveiled exactly such a contraption, alongside other electrically-powered machines. Called NZT, the buggy is officially designated to be an off-highway vehicle.

According to official specs, the NZT delivers up to 590 hp from four electric motors and has a battery pack that provides a range of up to 150 miles (241 km).

For rough terrain, it is fitted with Fox shock absorbers with 18 inches of travel and a low center of gravity thanks to the positioning of the batteries. The ground clearance for the NZT is 12 inches (30.5 cm).

Officially, the NZT is scheduled to enter production in 2021, and reservations are already open, for free. But the big problem with this vehicle is the price: $80,000.

Over the years, Nikola made what is shaping up to be an endless chain of unfulfilled promises. The company unveiled over the past few years no less than three electric trucks – One, Two and Tre – the first dating back as far as 2016, the most recent presented in 2018.

Despite announcing at times launch dates for each, the trucks are yet to arrive.

Aside from the three trucks and the NZT, Nikola is also working on an electric variant of the buggy for the military – called Reckless – and a watercraft called Wav. They too on the verge of being released sometime in the foreseeable future.
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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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