Top Ten: Pioneering electric truck maker announces 7000 orders

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Nikola Motors claims more than $3 billion-worth of pre-orders taken for zero-emission truck

Start-up commercial vehicle maker, Nikola Motors, has announced that it has 7000 pre-orders for its Nikola One following the announcement its pure-electric truck had been green-lit for production.

The One, that claims to use the same battery technology as pure-electric pioneer car maker Tesla, is said to come with 18,650 lithium ion cells welded together to create an incredible 320kWh battery pack.

Nikola's game-changing truck is a 6X6 electrically-driven rig that features regenerative braking and claims to develop a whopping 2000hp. Vital statistics are as follows:

Power 1470kW (2000hp)

Torque 5016Nm (3700 ft lbs)

Range 1931km (1200 miles)

Costing between $400,000-$550,000 each, the One's pre-orders are claimed to add up to more than $A3 billion.

To incentivise the purchase, Nikola claims it will pay for the recharging for the first million miles of use and that the new pure-electric truck will outperform all its diesel-powered rivals.

At current diesel prices (in the US), Nikola says it will pay for itself over a million miles. It also says haulage companies will also save $100,000 over a similar period.

Nikola says it will unveil a working prototype of the One this December 2.

The new claims have drawn plenty of scepticism from industry pundits who point out each truck can be reserved with a small $2000 (fully-refundable) deposit.

Nikola Motors is using the announcement of its successful pre-orders in an attempt to raise $400-$500 million dollars of investment.

The company name 'Nikola' also happens to be the first name of one Nikola Tesla, one of the pioneers of the electricity grid and for which the USA's most famous electric car maker is named.

Nikola One specifications:

Motor Type: 800V AC motors

Battery Capacity: 320kWh lithium ion

Transmission: Direct drive with Low-noise gears

Drive System Type: 6X6 All Wheel Drive

Transmission: Two speed automated

Cooling: Biodegradeable non-electrically conductive liquid coolant

Frame: Steel & aluminium

Front Axles: Nikola 12-14.6K lbs.

Front Suspension: Independent

Rear Axles: Nikola – Tandem – 40-46K lbs.

Rear Suspension: Independent

Front Brakes: WABCO Air disc with regenerative electric motor braking

Rear Brakes: WABCO Air disc with regenerative electric motor braking

Parking Brake: Air parking brake

Payload Capacity: 65,000 lbs (29,500kg)

Top Ten: Pioneering electric truck maker announces 7000 orders

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