This hydrogen-electric ute could be your next workhorse
Wednesday, 12 February 2020
Fancy the instant oomph of an electric powertrain in your workhorse but don't want to worry about range?
Well forget Tesla's Cybertruck, because the Nikola Motor Company says it has the answer to real range - meet the Badger, a ute with 675kW of power and 966km of range thanks to a blend of hydrogen and battery electric technologies.
The Badger has 483km of battery-only range while a 120kW hydrogen fuel cell doubles that figure. However, Nikola isn't going into detail about how the system actually works so take a grain of salt with you.
Power is sent to each wheel via 'independent wheel drive,' which suggests there will be one motor at each wheel hub. Peak output is rated at 675kW under overboost conditions while there will be 339kW on tap under constant running.
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That's just four kilowatts less than a Mustang GT, which should make the Badger a quick thing indeed. Torque is pegged at 1330Nm, for those wondering, all hitting as soon as you press the throttle pedal.
Towing capacity is a claimed 3692kg, which may mean a new licence class is required for Kiwi drivers wanting to tow as much as possible, while a 0-60mph (97kmh) sprint takes less than three seconds.
Sure sounds good on paper but there will be some hot competition soon enough. Tesla's Cybertruck is on its way, as is Rivian's R1T ute. Ford and GM aren't sitting still either, both hard at work on their own electric workhorses.
We'll have to wait until the Badger's launch in September this year for all the details.