Nikola Motor UTV Concept
An all-electric Utility Task Vehicle
joins the One truck in the startup's portfolio. Jointly engineered with Pratt
& Miller Engineering, the Nikola Zero was designed from the ground up to
cope with almost every terrain. It's powered by four 155 HP electric motors,
one at each wheel, producing a combined output of 520 HP and 645 Nm of torque and allowing it to sprint from 0 to 96 km/h in around 3
seconds.
The electric motors and gearbox are IP67
waterproof, meaning that they are totally protected against dust and can
withstand immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter. Power comes from
a 400-volt 50 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which gives the study an electric
range of 100-150 miles (161-257 km). The battery can be recharged from a 110V
outlet or a fast charger.
Nikola Motor has equipped the Zero with
the "industry's first ever fly-by-wire rear steering system", which
allows up to 10 degrees of rear steer at low speeds, up to 5 degrees of steer
under 20 mph (32 km/h) and locks into straight position at speeds more than 20
mph (32 km/h). At the touch of a button, drivers can disable rear steer or
switch to two-wheel drive.
Some of the features equipping the
zero-emission UTV are two 300-watt solar panels on the roof, front and rear LED
light bars, flood lights, two 3,500 lbs (1,588 kg) winches, ambient lights,
110V and 12V outlets, 4G LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi, two 7-inch displays, a
10-inch screen, on-board air compressor and tire inflation system.
The startup company has started taking
reservations for the Nikola Zero. The off-roader has an MSRP of US$ 42,000, but
the first 5,000 pre-orders will receive a US$ 5,000 discount that would normally
be paid to dealers.
