Nikola has announced that is is postoning the unveiling of its Badger pickup truck.
The embattled startup had intended on unveiling the Badger at its Nikola World event in Arizona, but on Wednesday, it was announced that this event will no longer happen. Nikola says this is because of the state’s ongoing restrictions enforced in response to the coronavirus pandemic. No replacement date has been given for when the Badger will be unveiled.
“Due to COVID-19 audience size restrictions at Arizona’s major venues, we have made the decision to reschedule an in-person Nikola World until we can bring the Nikola community together safely,” the company said.
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Last February Nikola first announced the Badger with a series of renderings and some preliminary specifications. The Badger has quite a bold and aggressive look, with plans calling for it to be offered in both hydrogen and electric forms. Nikola claimed that the electric pickup truck would have a 160 kWh lithium-ion battery pack providing approximately 300 miles (482 km) of range. By comparison, the hydrogen variant has been touted as having a range of up to 600 miles (966 km).
Those aren’t the only impressive figures, though, as the truck will allegedly deliver 906 hp and 980 lb-ft (1,328 Nm) of torque.
Nikola and General Motors announced a partnership in early September that calls for GM to develop and build the Badger, while Nikola will be tasked with selling and marketing the truck. It remains uncertain if this is still the plan as, just a few days ago, a GM spokeswoman confirmed that the deal with Nikola hasn’t been finalized despite initial plans calling for the deal to close before September 30.
