Salt Lake City, UT – Nikola (pronounced Neek-oh-la) Motor Company (NMC), named after the famous electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, was quietly formed by founder and CEO Trevor Milton years ago to design and manufacture electric vehicles, energy storage systems and electric vehicle drivetrain components.
With the first working prototypes displayed to the public later this year, the company will launch a 2,000-hp, electric semi-truck, dubbed Nikola One and a 520-hp, 4x4 electric UTV with a code name of Nikola Zero.
For complete product details on the Nikola Zero and One, visit www.nikolamotor.com. Reservations have just begun for both the Nikola Zero UTV and the Nikola One electric semi-truck.
While the majority of the semi-trucks components are being developed by Nikola, the company also co-designed the industry’s first ever independent suspension with Meritor.
“By working together with some of the top engineering firms in America, we were able to design vehicles that have previously been thought impossible to design,” said Milton.
“We want to even the playing field and income inequalities seen between owner operators and fleets for the first time in recent trucking history. This is just the beginning of what’s ahead for America, our company and the electric vehicle market,” added Milton.
Prior to establishing Nikola, Milton was CEO of dHybrid Systems, a natural gas storage technology company that was acquired in October 2014 by one of America’s largest steel providers, Worthington Industries.
Nikola Motor Company Launches 520 Hp 4x4 Electric UTV
NMC has designed, engineered and is finalizing assembly of the most powerful production model UTV ever built. The UTV project, dubbed Nikola Zero, is a 100 percent electric powered, zero-emission, 4-passenger, side-by-side that boasts over 520 hp, 480 ft-lbs. of torque, 20 inches of suspension travel on all four wheels, 125-mile range and an airtight design that has the ability to drive under water.
UTV Attributes
100 percent electric - The Nikola Zero has a single 155-hp electric motor at each wheel (4x4), generating 520 horsepower in total and producing 0-60 mph acceleration timed to around three seconds. Jointly engineered with world renowned Pratt & Miller Engineering, the Nikola Zero was designed from the ground up to beat all competitors in every terrain, all year round.
Most of the Nikola Zero’s components sit at or below the frame rail, thereby lowering the center of gravity and improving anti-roll over capabilities compared to most other UTVs. This was accomplished by removing the gasoline engine, clutch and emission equipment. Benefits of removing the gasoline drivetrain include: increased suspension travel, better handling, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, quieter ride and no belts or clutches to fail. Once drivers get behind the wheel of the Nikola Zero, the instant power and performance will be like nothing else ever experienced.
Battery & Range – The Nikola Zero’s electric motors are powered by a liquid-cooled, 400-volt and a 50 kWh lithium-ion battery pack (over 4,000 lithium cells). This energy-dense battery pack designed in-house gives the Nikola Zero a range of 100-150 miles per charge under aggressive riding conditions.
The four electric motors absorb the braking energy and deliver it back to the batteries, cutting the braking distance in half while increasing range and safety. The Nikola Zero can be charged with either a 110V outlet, J1772 standard electric vehicle fast charger or a 400V custom generator for rapid charging.
The Nikola Zero comes with two 300-watt solar panels on the roof to keep the 360-amp hour 12-volt lithium battery bank topped off, reducing the need to pull energy from the larger 400-volt pack to run the 12-volt components.
The large 12-volt bank was created to supply power to the front and rear LED light bars, flood lights, ambient lights, dual 3,500-lb. winches, touch screen displays, 110-volt and 12-volt outlets.
Rear Steer – The Nikola Zero has the industry’s first ever fly-by-wire rear steering system that allows up to 10 degrees of rear steer at low speeds, up to five degrees of steer under 20 mph and locks into straight position over 20 mph.
Rear steering can give up to a 50 percent improvement over current UTV turning radiuses. Whether rock crawling, trail riding or surface street driving, the rear steering system makes an incredible difference in navigating terrain. With a touch of a button, drivers can disable rear steer or switch to 2-wheel drive on the fly at any speed.
User Software - Each Nikola Zero will come standard with 4G LTE connectivity and an onboard user interface system. This allows owners to control who drives the Nikola Zero and also how the Nikola Zero is driven. With the Nikola app, drivers can input each person’s profile into the system and create parameters to control speed and travel distance; especially beneficial for younger and newer riders. The Nikola app will also send alerts when the Nikola Zero needs service or an over-the-air software update.
Torque Vectoring – Because there is an electric motor at each wheel, the Nikola Zero’s software provides dynamic control of each wheel. This is called torque vectoring and it is accomplished by controlling the speed and torque of each of the four wheels independent of each other at any given moment.
This torque vectoring hardware and software system will allow for faster cornering, quicker stops, improved traction and tire wear and longer component life over any other UTV. Torque vectoring technology is not available with a conventional drivetrain powered by a gasoline engine.
Display Screens – A first in the UTV market, each Nikola Zero comes with two 7-inch displays that show a variety of information, including speed, user profile, battery distance, tire pressure, terrain profiles and much more.
Tire Pressure & Inflation Profiles – Each Nikola Zero will have the option of being outfitted with an on-board air compressor and tire inflation system that allows the driver to quickly choose a terrain setting – sand, road, rock crawl, dirt or automatic – and the compressor will automatically adjust the tire pressure to the terrain, another first in the industry. With beadlock rims, the tire won’t come off the rim even at the lowest terrain settings.
Street Legal – While the Nikola Zero is designed to be driven off road, many states allow UTVs to be licensed once they are properly insured and have radial tires, headlights, tail lights, turn signals, safety belts, mirrors and horns. The Nikola Zero comes off the assembly line with all these features included and ready to be licensed for the road in states where permitted.
Total Specs – The Nikola Zero is designed to be the most powerful UTV in the marketplace. Nikola delivers the highest performing production ready UTV ever made with:
- 520 Horsepower
- 480 ft-lbs. of torque
- Power steering in the front
- Power steering in the rear
- 20 inches of suspension travel
- Front windshield, mirrors, LED headlights and blinkers
- 32-inch radial tires
- Waterproof IP 67 rating
- Winches in the front and rear
- Mud flaps
- 0-60 mph in around 3 seconds
- 14.5 inches of ground clearance
- Over-the-air updates with 4G LTE and WiFi
- Emission-free ride
- Tow hitch
- Torque vectoring and regenerative braking
- Tire inflation system and compressor
- (2) 7-inch displays and (1) 10-inch display
Reservations - $750 reservations for the Nikola Zero have begun at www.nikolamotor.com.
Price – The Nikola Zero has an MSRP of $42,000. The first 5,000 pre-orders will receive a $5,000 OEM discount that would normally be paid to dealers, dropping the total to $37,000 plus delivery charges and any applicable taxes.
