Nikola, CNH building electric truck prototypes, targeting launch at the end of 2021

Nikola Corp and car or truck and weighty products maker CNH Industrial mentioned the companies are doing work alongside one another to create prototypes of the EV maker’s Tre semi-truck, sending Nikola’s shares up twelve%, times immediately after a scathing report from limited-seller Hindenburg alleged the corporation of ‘fraud’.

CNH mentioned it aims to start out testing the semi-vans afterwards this yr, and hopes to start the automobiles commercially by the fourth quarter of 2021.

Hindenburg experienced shorted the inventory final week and mentioned it experienced gathered plenty of evidence to exhibit Nikola founder Trevor Milton made fake statements about possessing proprietary engineering to type partnerships with substantial automakers.

Hindenburg experienced also alleged that a seemingly functional truck, Nikola 1, was “simply just filmed rolling down a huge hill” in 2017. Nikola mentioned on Monday it under no circumstances mentioned the truck was driving “underneath its possess propulsion” and buyers at that time have been mindful of its specialized abilities.

Nikola, which experienced accused Hindenburg of manipulating the inventory to advantage limited-sellers, mentioned it approached the U.S. Securities and Trade Fee on the subject.

Previous week, automaker Common Motors Co  took an 11% stake in Nikola and mentioned the two corporations will join forces to create electric pickup vans and fuel cell business vans to just take on Tesla Inc .

GM’s offer with Nikola provides it scale and validates its engineering, GM Main Govt Officer Mary Barra told analysts on a meeting contact on Monday, deferring any concerns on the latter to the EV maker.