Nikolai gets ready to take orders

[bholler]

Yeah, I totally agree with the last sentence, which is what I said earlier as well. Nikolai is trying to make a splash into the market, and I think it's going for the top end of the market, not really the heart of the pick up truck buyers. I'm excited for future entry level electric trucks and utility vehicles, just not this particular truck which is like a Tesla P100D with a long travel suspension and bed and will cost all the dollars.
I get that you see a lot of modified trucks, but there are far more that are left stock. The median income of this country doesn't support $50,000 trucks with $30,000 of aftermarket. You are probably seeing older raptors now that they are on the used market. The new ones start at $55k and get much higher.

Yes I am sure that many I see here were bought used by the owner. But someone bought them new. And yes many of the diesel trucks that I see driving around modified were also used. But most are less than 10 years old so even used they still cost well over 30k. So after modified ( which often seriously compromises the load capacities) the price is in the range of the truck in question.

We just pad a little over 30k for a basic gas regular cab long bed f250 with 35000 miles.

 

[mellow]

Outside of business or RV use, many people will never tow 8,000# or haul more than 1,000# payload. I don't think I've ever towed that much outside of a business application. I have a 3/4 ton to haul my slide-in camper. If it wasn't for that, the truck would be useless to me and I would be back in the light duty market.

On the side note its good to see a fellow TC'r on here! Lance 1191 on an 02 F350 DRW.

 

[Highbeam]

Don’t just assume because a guy drives his f250 to the grocery store that he never uses it for “truck” things. The utility of a truck means it can do both. I hauled and spread 24,000 lbs of gravel yesterday with a dump trailer in my f350 but then I washed it and adjusted my new aftermarket exhaust before parking it. Today I may drive it to Costco where some guy from Montana might think that it’s nothing but a city boy toy.

Trucks are a huge market and even if they never do a lick of “truck” work the American buyer has my support to like owning one anyway.

Just like the first Tesla, this silly looking etruck will evolve into a normal looking and priced vehicle to serve their market. This concept truck is purposely flashy and ridiculous looking to attract attention.

 

[bholler]

Don’t just assume because a guy drives his f250 to the grocery store that he never uses it for “truck” things. The utility of a truck means it can do both. I hauled and spread 24,000 lbs of gravel yesterday with a dump trailer in my f350 but then I washed it and adjusted my new aftermarket exhaust before parking it. Today I may drive it to Costco where some guy from Montana might think that it’s nothing but a city boy toy.

Trucks are a huge market and even if they never do a lick of “truck” work the American buyer has my support to like owning one anyway.

Just like the first Tesla, this silly looking etruck will evolve into a normal looking and priced vehicle to serve their market. This concept truck is purposely flashy and ridiculous looking to attract attention.

Yeah there are times I take a work truck to the grocery store or what ever. It is still just a vehicle. Yes they are usually used as trucks but not always.

But with the work trucks it is pretty clear they are generally used for work. They have ladders signs tool boxes etc.

 

[begreen]

I think trying to compare the upcoming generation of EV "trucks" and in particular the Cybertruck to a standard pickup truck is not going to work. It's a different vehicle. Much like when Chrysler introduced the mini-van, which wasn't a station wagon or a van, the Cybertruck may become an icon and a new genre.

 

[Highbeam]

Yeah there are times I take a work truck to the grocery store or what ever. It is still just a vehicle. Yes they are usually used as trucks but not always.

But with the work trucks it is pretty clear they are generally used for work. They have ladders signs tool boxes etc.

We call those company trucks around here. Usually have the company name plastered on the body somewhere. Still very capable of work, play, or grocery getting. Maximum utility plus a tax write off. Why get a one trick pony?

A minivan filled a need. What possible need can be filled by a less useful new class of cybertruck? Actually is it any different? It’s just a low capability pickup like a Colorado except with a unique motor.

 

[begreen]

We call those company trucks around here. Usually have the company name plastered on the body somewhere. Still very capable of work, play, or grocery getting. Maximum utility plus a tax write off. Why get a one trick pony?

A minivan filled a need. What possible need can be filled by a less useful new class of cybertruck? Actually is it any different? It’s just a low capability pickup like a Colorado except with a unique motor.

They will be nice vehicles for hunters, offroaders, bicyclers, fishermen, climbers, etc. It will fit an ATV which may be the biggest load it carries and can tow a small trailer if need be. All while silent running.

 

[bholler]

We call those company trucks around here. Usually have the company name plastered on the body somewhere. Still very capable of work, play, or grocery getting. Maximum utility plus a tax write off. Why get a one trick pony?

A minivan filled a need. What possible need can be filled by a less useful new class of cybertruck? Actually is it any different? It’s just a low capability pickup like a Colorado except with a unique motor.

They have atleast the same capabilities that all of the 1/2 ton short bed trucks that dominate the truck market have as far as hauling. And far more performance.

Given the choice I generally don't drive any of our 3/4 or one ton trucks unless I need to. They just don't drive as nice as lighter duty stuff or cars.

 

[begreen]

They have atleast the same capabilities that all of the 1/2 ton short bed trucks that dominate the truck market have as far as hauling. And far more performance.

Given the choice I generally don't drive any of our 3/4 or one ton trucks unless I need to. They just don't drive as nice as lighter duty stuff or cars.

They also consume a lot more fuel, are not much fun to park in smaller parking lots or in the city when looking for parking. It's one of the reasons I sold the F150. Too big for day to day driving. Yes it can be done, but not a good fit in many circumstances. It was a nice truck and had gobs of power, even with the camper on it, but I found myself driving it very little except when I had a truck specific task to do.

 

[MTASH]

On the side note its good to see a fellow TC'r on here! Lance 1191 on an 02 F350 DRW.

Thanks! '95 Lance on a '06 F-250 V-10 here.

 

[MTASH]

GM now has a stake in Nikola...

GM takes a $2 billion stake in Nikola to make electric pickup trucks

GM and Nikola announce a partnership worth billions that gives GM a seat at the table and a partner in the commercial EV heavy-duty truck space.

www.freep.com

 

[begreen]

GM now has a stake in Nikola...

GM takes a $2 billion stake in Nikola to make electric pickup trucks

GM and Nikola announce a partnership worth billions that gives GM a seat at the table and a partner in the commercial EV heavy-duty truck space.

www.freep.com

Not only a stake, they will be building them and providing the battery pack. Makes one wonder what GM is getting out of this besides a name. Commercial truck contracts?

 

[maple1]

NKLA has turned into quite the drama story.

 

[peakbagger]

The new way to loose a retirement is investing in SPACs, The acronym sounds harmless but its the latest way for wall street to grab a hold of peoples savings with little or no responsibility. Special Purpose Acquisition Companys (SPACs) used to be restricted to high asset investors that had to prove that they could lose the investment and not impact their lifestyle. The rules got changed and now any investor can invest in SPACs. The SPACs can be set up by any financial firm. They announce broad outlines of what they want to invest in but they are just aspirations not guarantees. Once they find a new private company, they merge the assets of the SPAC into the company and then the goal is go out for an IPO. The people running the SPAC can charge whatever up front fees and loads they want on the investment. There is intentionally little SEC oversight and if things go bad unless an investor can prove outright fraud they are out of luck.

In the case of several current SPACs they have piles of money and are aggressively looking for place to spend it. In many cases they could care less if its a viable company they are partnering with, all they need is a good enough story to get to an IPO and let other suckers buy the stocks. Its important to note that even though a SPAC states an aspirational goal like they are going to merge with company that will solve the worlds climate crisis, they are completely able with no oversite to buy something completely different so someone wanting to invest in clean energy could end up investing in coal mine. I seriously doubt that any investment advisors who have fiduciary responsibility could recommend a SPAC to typical investor.

The standard advise my dad had for investing is do not invest in it if I didn't understand it. I will stick with John Bogles strategy, a small investor has no hope of beating the market in the long term, the best option is to buy the market through index funds and hope to match the results

 

[begreen]

The new way to loose a retirement is investing in SPACs, The acronym sounds harmless but its the latest way for wall street to grab a hold

The standard advise my dad had for investing is do not invest in it if I didn't understand it. I will stick with John Bogles strategy, a small investor has no hope of beating the market in the long term, the best option is to buy the market through index funds and hope to match the results

Did you mean to post this in the Inglenook?

 

[peakbagger]

Nikola is funded by SPAC

Nikola executes reverse merger with VectoIQ; now to be listed on NASDAQ; BEV and FCEV trucks

Nikola Corporation, a designer and developer of BEV and FCEV Class 8 trucks is executing a reverse merger with VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. to create a company focused on the development of next generation smart transportation. VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq:VTIQ) is a $230-million publicly...

www.greencarcongress.com

 

[peakbagger]

Nikola Founder Resigns as Chair Amid Allegations, SEC Probe

(Bloomberg) -- Nikola Corp., the electric-vehicle startup that recently partnered with General Motors Co., said its founder stepped down as executive chairman, coming just days after the company was reported to be the focus of investigations by U.S. regulators following a highly critical...

www.yahoo.com

My prior post appears to be few days early.