After much anticipation, Nikola has finally began accepting deposits for its Badger pick-up. The vehicle will be unveiled on December 4th at Nikola World running from December 3rd to 5th. Reservation holders can place deposits on their vehicles starting now. Deposit holders will however have quite a wait before they receive their new pick-up, as production isn’t expected to begin until early 2022.
Nikola will be teaming up with another automaker to build the Badger. Although we don’t know who the mystery company is, it is set to be announced at Nikola World. The plan is to offer the Badger as both a battery-electric vehicle starting at $60,000, and as a hydrogen fuel-cell electric pickup with an EV battery pack starting at $80,000. Nikola claims the ranges will be 300 and 600 miles with early specs teasing 906 horsepower and 980 pound-feet of torque with a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds.
Although this long of a wait isn’t uncommon from automotive start-ups, Nikola is making the deal even more tempting by not only reducing the price of the final vehicle based on how much of a deposit is placed, but they will also match that amount. For example, if a reservation holder places a $5,000 deposit, the final price of the new pick-up will be discounted by $10,000. In addition to this huge incentive, depositors are also entered into a drawing to win a free Badger. Nikola is currently offering three deposit tiers; the $5000 Honey package comes with two VIP tickets to Nikola World and 25 entries into the giveaway. The $1000 Predator in which the person paying the deposit receives two tickets to the event and five entries to win a free Badger. And lastly, the $250 Instinct package where the deposit holder will receive a single ticket to Nikola World and one entry to win the pickup.
The Badger is already facing tough competition between other start-ups and well established automakers. The Tesla Cybertruck is set for production next year, and Ford and GM both have plans in the works for electric trucks. However, Nikola has some incredible specs floating around including waterproof displays, a hidden fridge, and even a water fountain. Specs that may just be enough to sway buyers away from the leading competitors.