A battery-electric Nikola Tre semitruck. Nikola is recalling all the battery-electric Tres to fix a flaw of their battery packs that might get started a hearth. 5 battery-electric Tres have been destroyed in a hearth at Nikola’s headquarters in June 2023.
Courtesy: Nikola
Stocks of electrical truck maker Nikola opened sharply decrease Monday after the corporate introduced a recall of all of the battery-electric semitrucks it has made up to now — 209 in general — after an investigation into a contemporary hearth discovered a flaw.
Stocks fell greater than 6% Monday to $1.82 each and every.
The recollects don’t have an effect on Nikola’s newest fashion, a semitruck powered by way of a hydrogen gas cellular. Manufacturing of the gas cellular vehicles started final month.
Nikola stated past due Friday {that a} third-party investigation discovered {that a} coolant leak inside of a battery pack used to be most probably chargeable for a hearth in a truck parked on the corporate’s Phoenix headquarters on June 23. That fireplace unfold to different close by vehicles, destroying 5.
Nikola had at first suspected that the vehicles have been intentionally set on hearth in an act of vandalism. It now believes that “foul play or different exterior elements have been not likely to have led to the incident,” it stated in its Friday night time commentary.
A 2nd truck utilized by the corporate’s engineering group had a an identical battery-pack malfunction on Aug. 10, although the issue used to be stuck earlier than it turned into a big hearth, Nikola stated.
Following the third-party file, Nikola’s personal engineers decided {that a} element within the battery pack, manufactured by way of an out of doors provider, is the most probably offender. It expects to have a restore to be had quickly.
The corporate is halting gross sales of its battery-electric vehicles till the restore is to be had.
Nikola is remotely tracking all of its battery-electric vehicles for indicators of a an identical defect. Even though the corporate stated it believes the chance is low — most effective two battery packs out of over 3,100 made have had the issue, it famous — it prompt operators that whilst they are able to proceed to make use of the vehicles, the vehicles will have to be parked outdoor till the restore is made.