GM, Nikola Partner up, Badger EV to be Engineered & Manufactured by GM

Nikola Corporation and GM have announced a strategic partnership that begins with the EV Badger and carries cost reductions through Nikola’s programs.

As part of the agreement, Nikola will utilize General Motors’ Ultium battery system and Hydrotec fuel cell technology.

Nikola Corporation and General Motors (GM) have announced a strategic partnership that begins with the Nikola Badger and carries cost reductions through Nikola’s programs, including: Nikola Badger, Nikola Tre, Nikola One, Nikola Two and NZT. As part of the agreement, Nikola will utilise General Motors’ Ultium battery system and Hydrotec fuel cell technology, representing a key commercialization milestone for General Motors.

Nikola will exchange USD 2 billion in newly issued common stock for the in-kind services and access to General Motors’ global safety-tested and validated parts and components. GM will be subject to a staged lock-up provision beginning in one year and ending in June 2025, it will engineer, homologate, validate and manufacture the Nikola Badger battery electric and fuel cell versions.

“Nikola is one of the most innovative companies in the world. General Motors is one of the top engineering and manufacturing companies in the world. You couldn’t dream of a better partnership than this,” said Nikola Founder and Executive Chairman Trevor Milton.

“By joining together, we get access to their validated parts for all of our programs, General Motors’ Ultium battery technology and a multi-billion dollar fuel cell program ready for production. Nikola immediately gets decades of supplier and manufacturing knowledge, validated and tested production-ready EV propulsion, world-class engineering and investor confidence. Most importantly, General Motors has a vested interest to see Nikola succeed. We made three promises to our stakeholders and have now fulfilled two out of three promises ahead of schedule. What an exciting announcement,” he added.

The agreement with Nikola extends General Motors’ utilisation of its fuel cell technology to the Class 7/8 semi-truck market and represents high-volume commercialization of its leading Hydrotec fuel cell system and complements the company’s battery-electric propulsion. Fuel cells will become increasingly important to the semi-truck market because they are more efficient than gas or diesel. General Motors sees additional growth opportunities in multiple transportation, stationary and mobile-power end markets. GM Nikola EV Badger

“This strategic partnership with Nikola, an industry leading disrupter, continues the broader deployment of General Motors’ all-new Ultium battery and Hydrotec fuel cell systems,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “We are growing our presence in multiple high-volume EV segments while building scale to lower battery and fuel cell costs and increase profitability. In addition, applying General Motors’ electrified technology solutions to the heavy-duty class of commercial vehicles is another important step in fulfilling our vision of a zero-emissions future.”

GM’s battery development work is ongoing. Its Ultium battery technology roadmap includes silicon anodes and lithium metal anodes, which will improve vehicle range, affordability, and reduced dependence on rare and costly metals. And the firm claims it is already demonstrating automotive-grade durability and significantly higher energy density.