The Nikola Badger Electrified Pickup Truck Will Quench Your Thirst

• Two versions of the Badge will be offered: 100% electric, and hydrogen fuel cell.

• Yes, another electric pickup – this is like going to the races.

• The Badger will “make” water, and Nikola’s thought it through.

Last week, the Lordstown Endurance and Rivian made the news – two electric vehicle brands that will very shortly introduce an electric pickup. And, as always, Tesla got a headline or two but this time, the stage belongs to Nikola Motors. This Arizona-based company is better known for its semi-trucks but they’d been talking about a pickup for a few months. And today is the day you can pre-order one.

The Nikola Badger will be available in one of two ways, as 100% BEV or a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. The truck’s vitals are impressive as it will produce up to 906 horsepower, 980 lb.-ft. of torque, and deliver up to 600 miles (1,000 km) of range. The latter consists in a mix of 300 miles of battery range and 300 miles on the fuel cell. Two more stats: it’ll tow up to 8,000 lbs and hit 60 mph in 2.9 seconds.

The truck itself is very attractive, possibly more so than the other three, but its advantage (depending on where you live) will be the FCEV. Other than the extra range, apparently the other advantage to the FCEV version will be the resulting water which will be funneled into the truck’s cab for drinking. No joke, these are Nikola Motors’ CEO Trevor Milton’s words:

Getting questions about what we do with all the water coming out of our hydrogen trucks. Well, we will use most of it for our windshield washer fluid and then some for pure driver drinking water. Yes you heard that right, we will have a drinking fountain in our truck

— Trevor Milton (@nikolatrevor) June 25, 2020

He goes on to reach out to address concerns about water freezing in colder climates and to tweet out to SodaStream USA to see if they might be interested in partnering up.

The production version of the Nikola Badger should be officially uncovered at the Nikola World 2020 event planned for December 3.