According to new reports from Bloomberg, Detroit-based startup Hercules Electric Vehicles and Nissan are in talks about developing an electric pickup truck.
Nissan was a key contributor in normalizing electric vehicles with the Nissan Leaf. The company has seen and continues to see huge success with its compact five-door hatchback BEV since it was introduced in 2010. Now, anonymous sources familiar with the matter are suggesting Nissan might purchase an electric powertrain from Hercules to use in its Titan pickup, the same powertrain seen it Hercules’ Alpha. According to the report: ”The talks are still ongoing and could still fall apart before a deal is signed.”
Hercules’ Alpha pickup truck advertises a 1,000 hp 4-motor powertrain, a range of 300 miles, a claimed 0-60 mph time of 4.0 seconds, and the company intends to offer the option for Worksport solar tonneau covers. The Detroit-based start is currently accepting reservations for the electric truck.
Looking at the exterior of the Alpha pickup, it is quiet reminiscent of Nissan’s Titan pickup. So the real question is whether this will be a real partnership or if Hercules will simply use the existing Titan unit to house its powertrain. Regardless, the partnership will no doubt benefit Hercules, being a fairly new startup. It should also aid in cutting costs for Nissan in leu of the havoc wreaked on the auto industry caused by the ongoing global pandemic. Making a vehicle that most likely wouldn’t be very successful outside of the U.S. from the ground up at this time may not be the smartest choice.
It seems as though many automakers are now questioning their decisions on whether or not to produce an all-electric truck. General Motors announced in September that it would manufacture the Nikola Badger electric truck. Since the announcement Nikola has been dealing with some legal issues surrounding the authenticity of some of its claims, leaving the partnership up in the air. Rivian has seen investments from Ford which now has a deal to use the startup’s “skateboard” platform in some of its future EVs.
With big names like Tesla and Rivian slated to begin deliveries of their all-electric pickup trucks in the coming months, the competition in the segment is really beginning to heat up.