Nikola, an electrical automobile start-up that had as soon as hoped to grow to be the Tesla of heavy vehicles, filed for chapter safety on Wednesday.
Based in 2015, Nikola promised to develop long-haul semi vehicles powered by hydrogen and electrical energy, and listed itself on the inventory change in 2020 earlier than it had offered a single automobile. Its share worth surged briefly as particular person buyers and a few Wall Road companies clamored to wager on firms that they thought may replicate Tesla’s success and its hovering inventory worth.
Traders’ short-lived enthusiasm for Nikola made its founder, Trevor Milton, and different early buyers rich. However earlier than lengthy, important doubts emerged about Mr. Milton’s claims concerning the firm’s know-how and orders from prospects. He was quickly ousted, and later convicted on fraud expenses.
In latest quarters, Nikola had begun delivering small numbers of electrical vehicles however far too few to generate income. Late final yr, the corporate mentioned it had $200 million in money and $270 million in long-term debt. Its inventory plunged in early February on experiences that the corporate was nearing a chapter submitting.
The corporate mentioned in a launch it had about $47 million in money readily available, and supposed to proceed “restricted” service and assist for vehicles out on the highway. The chapter submitting listed liabilities of between $1 billion and $10 billion, and put the variety of collectors it owes at between 1,000 and 5,000.
Nikola is one in every of a number of fledgling electrical automobile firms which have struggled to show their concepts into precise automobiles and vehicles.
Lordstown Motors, which had tried to make pickup vehicles in a shuttered Basic Motors plant in Ohio, sought chapter safety in 2023, and in 2024 was charged with deceptive buyers by the Securities and Change Fee.
A start-up primarily based in Britain referred to as Arrival deliberate to make electrical vans and buses. Nevertheless it struggled to make its automobile and manufacturing concepts work after which offered its property to a different start-up, Canoo. That firm filed for chapter safety final month.
Just a few electrical automobile start-ups are nonetheless working although their share costs have tumbled and it’s not clear how or when they’ll grow to be worthwhile.
Rivian, which makes electrical pickups and sport-utility autos, has had hassle ramping up manufacturing to the degrees it initially aimed for, and its inventory now trades at slightly below $13 a share — a tenth of the place it was in late 2021. However the firm secured an necessary lifeline final yr when it established a partnership with the German automaker Volkswagen, which has taken an enormous stake in Rivian.
Lucid Motors makes luxurious electrical automobiles and S.U.V.s however has fallen properly wanting its authentic gross sales and manufacturing targets. It, too, is hoping to make offers wherein it sells its know-how to different automakers.
“Like different firms within the electrical automobile trade, we’ve confronted numerous market and macroeconomic elements which have impacted our capacity to function,” Steve Girsky, Nikola’s chief government, mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday. “Sadly, our best efforts haven’t been sufficient to beat these important challenges.”
