Coming in a few years alongside an electric off-roader
Electric trucking company Nikola Motors just announced an all-electric sit-down personal watercraft called the Wav (pronounced “wave”). Inspired by the design of superbikes, the Wav is a wild looking jet-ski style vehicle that Nikola Motors CEO Trevor Milton called the “future of watercraft.” It features a waterproof 12-inch, 4K display in the dashboard, LED lights in the front and back, and even has cruise control. Milton debuted the Wav alongside an all-electric off-roader and the company’s two flagship electric big rigs at an event in Arizona Tuesday night.
“This watercraft defies the norm and creates a new standard,” Jordan Darling, the vice president of Nikola’s powersports division, said on stage. The Wav will be powered by a completely new adaptable battery architecture that Nikola developed specifically for watercraft, and a smaller stand-up version will come next. The company is already taking reservations for the Wav, but pricing and other specs were not immediately announced. The Wav is supposed to ship sometime in the early 2020s.
While there have been attempts at battery-powered Jet Ski-style watercraft before, most haven’t left the concept stage. Nikola scooped up one of the more promising concepts in a 2017 acquisition, which helped build out the company’s nascent “powersports” division that also includes all-electric four-wheeled vehicles meant to be used off-road.
In fact, Nikola announced a second consumer vehicle Tuesday night which is exactly that: a four-wheeled electric off-roader called the NZT. It’s built like an off-road utility vehicle, but is outfitted with creature comforts typically reserved for passenger cars, like an HVAC system and a big digital display. The NZT is due out in 2021, though no pricing or additional specs were announced.
The Wav and the NZT will be the first Nikola vehicles that many people interact with, but the company’s main focus is making hydrogen and battery-powered electric big rigs. Nikola has teased three different big rigs over the past few years, but gave the last two — the North American Nikola Two and the European Nikola Tre — a proper debut Tuesday night. The company has about $14 billion in commitments for the big rigs, with Anheuser Busch as its biggest customer so far. The beverage company announced last year that it has ordered “up to 800” of Nikola’s trucks. In contrast, Anheuser-Bush has placed just 40 preorders for Tesla’s battery-powered semi truck.
“This watercraft defies the norm and creates a new standard,” Jordan Darling, the vice president of Nikola’s powersports division, said on stage. The Wav will be powered by a completely new adaptable battery architecture that Nikola developed specifically for watercraft, and a smaller stand-up version will come next. The company is already taking reservations for the Wav, but pricing and other specs were not immediately announced. The Wav is supposed to ship sometime in the early 2020s.
While there have been attempts at battery-powered Jet Ski-style watercraft before, most haven’t left the concept stage. Nikola scooped up one of the more promising concepts in a 2017 acquisition, which helped build out the company’s nascent “powersports” division that also includes all-electric four-wheeled vehicles meant to be used off-road.
In fact, Nikola announced a second consumer vehicle Tuesday night which is exactly that: a four-wheeled electric off-roader called the NZT. It’s built like an off-road utility vehicle, but is outfitted with creature comforts typically reserved for passenger cars, like an HVAC system and a big digital display. The NZT is due out in 2021, though no pricing or additional specs were announced.
The Wav and the NZT will be the first Nikola vehicles that many people interact with, but the company’s main focus is making hydrogen and battery-powered electric big rigs. Nikola has teased three different big rigs over the past few years, but gave the last two — the North American Nikola Two and the European Nikola Tre — a proper debut Tuesday night. The company has about $14 billion in commitments for the big rigs, with Anheuser Busch as its biggest customer so far. The beverage company announced last year that it has ordered “up to 800” of Nikola’s trucks. In contrast, Anheuser-Bush has placed just 40 preorders for Tesla’s battery-powered semi truck.