Photo by Robert Couse-Baker (CC BY 2.0)
Three different automakers are unveiling new plans to introduce electric pick-up trucks, or to use the vehicles as emissions-free “power plants” by equipping them with hydrogen fuel cells.
Earlier this month, General Motors announced a US$2-billion investment in Phoenix-based electric vehicle manufacturer Nikola Corporation, a 10-year partnership aimed at bringing the big automaker $4 billion in benefits as it sets out to electrify its entire fleet, the Detroit Free Press reports. In a statement, the two companies said GM will “engineer, homologate, validate, and manufacture the Nikola Badger battery electric and fuel cell versions”.
The Free Press says the Badger, a heavy-duty fuel cell-electric pick-up, is intended to go into service in 2022.
“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 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.”
Source: GM, Ford, Toyota Unveil Plans for Electric, Hydrogen Trucks – The Energy Mix