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MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd

Nikola Corporation is excited to announce details of its new battery that has a record energy density of 1,100 watt-hours per kg on the material level and 500 watt-hours per kg on the production cell level. The Nikola prototype cell is the first battery that removes binder material and current collectors, enabling more energy storage within the cell. It is also expected to pass nail penetration standards, thus reducing potential vehicle fires.

This battery technology could increase the range of current EV passenger cars from 300 miles up to 600 miles with little or no increase to battery size and weight. The technology is also designed to operate in existing vehicle conditions. Moreover, cycling the cells over 2,000 times has shown acceptable end-of-life performance.

Nikola's new cell technology is environmentally friendly and easy to recycle. While conventional lithium-ion cells contain elements that are toxic and expensive, the new technology will have a positive impact on the earth's resources, landfills and recycling plants.

Source: https://nikolamotor.com/press_releases/nikola-corporation-to-unveil-game-changing-battery-cell-technology-at-nikola-world-2020-67

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Tesla Cybertruck

hemocyanin writes:

Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck. Apparently, many people think it's ugly. I absolutely love it. It took the jellybean esthetic of modern vehicles and ran it over. Twice. There's simply no point in saying anything about this truck -- you have to look at the pictures:

https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/22/20976539/tesla-cybertruck-test-drive-electric-truck-pickup-video-features-price-elon-musk

In order to make this TFS less short, a few specs, but really, they don't matter until you see if it appeals to you which it either will or won't in spades. The low end 250 mile range version is supposed to be about $40k. The body is unpainted cold rolled stainless steel. Upmodels will have a towing capacity variously described as 10-14k pounds and at the top end, a 500 mile range. They'll cost a lot more.

"Bulletproof" Musk Cybertruck fail

barbara hudson writes:

Elon Musk bragged that his "cybertruck" was bulletproof to a 9mm round, but two separate attempts to demonstrate just how tough it is failed when ball bearings thrown by hand literally caused the windows to come crashing down in pieces. So much for safety glass; even on cyber trucks, windows sucks.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/22/cybertruck-tesla-unveils-the-pickup-truck-we-have-to-have

We created an exoskeleton," Musk said to rapturous whoops from those attending the Los Angeles launch. "It is literally bulletproof to a 9mm handgun."

Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla's chief designer, asked Musk if he could lob a metal ball at the window of the vehicle. "Really?" said Musk. The window smashed. "Oh my fucking God," said Musk. "Maybe that was a little hard."

Showing confidence in the vehicle, Von Holzhausen then suggested he should lob it at a second window. "Try that one? Really?" asked Musk moments before the rear window was also smashed. "It didn't go through, that's the plus side," a stunned Musk said.

Also at Ars Technica and Wccftech.

See also: Hot takes as opinion cools on Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla trademarked Cybertruck and 'Cybrtrk' ahead of its planned debut

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The next beer you crack open at the Enterprise Center may have an incredibly minimal carbon footprint, St. Louis Blues fans. Anheuser-Busch said on Thursday it completed the very first beer delivery using zero-emissions delivery vehicles.

Specifically, it hauled the shipment of beer in a Nikola hydrogen-electric semi, before its partner brought the adult beverage to its final destination in a BYD electric truck. Anheuser-Busch placed an order for 800 of the hydrogen-electric Nikola semi trucks last year as the beer brewer looks to turn its entire long-haul vehicle fleet into a zero-emissions one. By 2025, the company has committed to shaving 25% of its carbon emissions.

The beer brewer will run a fleet of Nikola Two hydrogen-electric trucks. These models do not solely run on hydrogen, but incorporate both a hydrogen fuel cell and battery-electric powertrain. On hydrogen, the Two should go up to 750 miles. With electricity from the battery, Nikola expects up to 350 miles of range. The BYD electric trucks, like the one used in this first shipment, are meant to complement the semis.

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takyon writes:

Musk Says There Are 146,000 Cybertruck Orders Just Two Days After Reveal

Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said Saturday the company has amassed 146,000 orders for its Cybertruck, less than 48 hours after the polarizing vehicle was first shown amid shattered glass.

[...] Tesla's website allows customers to order the electric truck for a fully refundable $100, and says they can complete their configuration "as production nears in late 2021." Musk said in a tweet that 42% had ordered the dual-motor option, which starts at $49,900, while 41% have ordered the $69,900 triple-motor option, production of which is expected to begin in late 2022. Just 17% ordered the single-motor version, which begins at $39,900.

146k Cybertruck orders so far, with 42% choosing dual, 41% tri & 17% single motor

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2019

The $100 deposit for the Cybertruck is far cheaper than the $1,000 that was required to reserve a Model 3 sedan. Tesla's reservation lists have long been a source of intrigue for investors, analysts, journalists, fans and skeptics of the company, as it's often used as a proxy for demand. But Tesla itself stopped giving reservation figures on its quarterly earnings calls, saying the metric wasn't relevant.

Also at CNBC and Wccftech.

Previously: Tesla Unveils "Cybertruck"

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Freeman writes:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/04/tesla-beats-expectations-with-strong-first-quarter-delivery-numbers/

Tesla produced 102,672 vehicles in the first quarter of 2020 and delivered 88,400 vehicles to customers, the company announced to investors on Thursday. While the delivery number is down from the previous quarter, the overall results were better than analysts had expected, sending Tesla's stock up more than 10 percent in after-hours trading.

"Our Shanghai factory continued to achieve record levels of production, despite significant setbacks," Tesla said in its Thursday release.

The results are particularly impressive in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Ford, which also announced Q1 sales numbers today, blamed the coronavirus for a 12-percent year-over-year decline in sales. Presumably, economic uncertainty about the coronavirus discouraged some people from buying Tesla vehicles in March. Despite that, Tesla's deliveries for the quarter grew 40 percent from a year earlier.

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upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Bytram:

Tesla's robotaxi fleet will be 'functionally ready' in 2020, Musk says - Roadshow:

Last year during its Autonomy Investor Day, Tesla laid out the broad strokes of its plan for a fleet of autonomous Teslas to operate as a "robotaxi" service. Of course, at the time, this seemed like a flight of fancy, given the fact that no car manufacturer is even close to full, Level 5 autonomy, by the standard SAE definition.

Fast-forward to now, and it still seems like a flight of fancy. Nevertheless, problems of practicality, technology, logistics and good sense aren't things that Elon Musk is worrying about, because he confirmed on Twitter on Sunday that the service would be functionally ready in 2020.

[...] Tesla currently offers Autopilot, which is a very competent suite of advanced driver assistance systems when appropriately used, but it's nowhere near capable of "full self-driving" as Tesla likes to call it. So, either the Big T has been sandbagging pretty hard, or Elon is full of what a certain former Vice President would call "malarkey."

Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

Nikola semi startup shines on Wall Street with $34BN valuation:

While Tesla's long been the poster child for stratospheric market value despite modest profits, electric truckmaker Nikola knocked on Wall Street's door this week with a huge number.

As Automotive News points out, Nikola's market value reached $34 billion this week after its debut on the New York Stock Exchange last week. The incredible value, which is higher than Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, comes with a big caveat. The startup hasn't yet posted a single dollar in revenue.

In fact, Nikola's grand plans are even lengthier than we're used to from Tesla. The massive plant Nikola plans to build in Arizona won't be fully utilized until near the end of this decade, the company has previously said. The company did announce a notable new hire on Wednesday in Mark Duchesne. The executive will become Nikola's global head of manufacturing after he spent five years at Tesla and 22 years at Toyota.

[...] With all these grand plans moving ahead, Nikola forecasts revenue in 2023 as its semis begin trickling into the world. Today, the company says it has 14,000 reservations for its fuel-cell semi trucks, which it needs to still transform into actual preorders.

Tesla has its own semi truck, the Semi, which is reportedly ready for "volume production" and scheduled for launch next year.

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

Nikola stock plunges 26% after fraud claims complicate hydrogen plans:

Shares of hydrogen truck startup Nikola plunged 26 percent on Wednesday after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was struggling to find partners to build a planned network of hydrogen fueling stations. Nikola's stock closed at $21.15 on Wednesday, a decline of 57 percent from the $50 peak reached on September 8

[...] Nikola now concedes that the truck never worked and that a promotional video of the truck was made by rolling it down a hill.

Nikola argued that this was old news because Nikola is no longer marketing the Nikola One and has a working prototype of the Nikola Two. But the revelations threw the company into chaos and forced Milton to resign on Sunday.

Previously:
New Report Claims Widespread Deception by Nikola Motor and Founder Trevor Milton
Nikola Motors Opening Reservations for Badger Electric Pickup Truck on June 27
Nikola Semi Startup Shines on Wall Street With $34BN Valuation

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

Nikola founder bought truck designs from third party:

The original design for Nikola's flagship truck was purchased by founder Trevor Milton from a designer in Croatia, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, despite company claims in a 2018 lawsuit that the vehicle was initially designed by Mr. Milton "in his basement.."

The truck, the Nikola One, is at the centre of a $2 billion lawsuit with Tesla, in which Nikola alleges its rival infringed on its patents. Nikola claims in that lawsuit that Mr. Milton began designing the model in 2013, with other company staff later working on it.

In a rebuttal to the lawsuit filed last week, Tesla alleged that Nikola could not protect the designs because they did not originate from the company itself, but from Adriano Mudri, a designer based in Croatia.

The arstechnica article didn't include any links.

Nikola Founder Bought Truck Design From Designer's College Portfolio: Report:

And Nikola's sub-contracture allegedly doesn't end with technology, as a Financial Times report alleges even Nikola's design for the hydrogen-powered One semi-truck was outsourced from Croatia.

Previously:
Nikola Stock Plunges 26% after Fraud Claims Complicate Hydrogen Plans
New Report Claims Widespread Deception by Nikola Motor and Founder Trevor Milton
Nikola Motors Opening Reservations for Badger Electric Pickup Truck on June 27
Nikola Semi Startup Shines on Wall Street With $34BN Valuation

At this point, Nikola's business plan seems to be resembling the movie The Producers business plan more than anything.

Original Submission