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Nikola Motor Company
- eumoria 10y agoThey could have tried a little harder with the name. It makes me take them less seriously with a copycat name like they're not confident enough in their product and need to glom onto Tesla's success. What an awful decision. The truck looks neat, though.
- tcoppi 10y agoI agree, the naming seems really unfortunate. I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla argues trademark infringement.
- bungle 10y agoTesla is dead, he died on January 7th, 1948.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- wil421 10y agoThey are referring to Tesla the car company. Not Nikola Tesla the person.
- fla 10y agoThat sounds a bit far fetched to me.
- smt88 10y agoIf consumers can be confused, Tesla can win. I don't think it's far-fetched for Tesla to be able to prove that consumers can be confused by the name.
- throwaway420 10y agoSure, lawyers can argue anything. But Musk isn't a Tesla family member or anything, right? Morally speaking, what gives Musk the right to use Tesla's name as an homage, but somehow this other guy doesn't have the same right? If Musk can call his company Tesla, somebody else using the name Nikola should be fair game. It's probably not the wisest naming choice in the long run, but hey, people are already talking about it, so in a sense it's something that will get them some attention.
- wityak 10y agoThey should name it Musk Motors.
- coolspot 10y agoGenius.
- pjlegato 10y agoMoral theorizing is irrelevant. Trademark law is the only relevant factor here. The legal question under US trademark law is whether a reasonable consumer is likely to be confused by the name and erroneously infer that some sort of relationship or endorsement exists between the two companies. As Tesla is a rather obscure figure among the general public, my personal view is that average consumers will not be confused and the Nikola Motors name does not infringe Tesla Motors' trademark. However, that is far from clear-cut would be subject to endless dispute in court, probably with both sides producing survey and focus group results promoting their interpretation.
- speps 10y agoThales, Edison, Siemens, Hertz, Westinghouse, Thomson, Ferraris, Maxwell, Bell were already taken. They needed to go into first names now I guess :)
- thevibesman 10y agoHow about Bowie Motor Company?[1] Turns out bowiemotors.com is already taken[2]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88_6SQKuTHk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88_6SQKuTHk [2]: Yes, I tried to register it ;) (EDIT: Foot-note formatting)
- falloutx 10y agoHeisenberg
- return0 10y agoI 'm not sure uncertainty is something you want to attribute to a car.
- 10y ago
- Aelinsaar 10y agoI don't think that truck is ever seeing the light of day; the name and the rest of it all seems incredibly unlikely to materialize except as some money in someone's pockets.
- waylandsmithers 10y agoYeah! I thought this was a subsidiary or some other project that was secret until now related to Tesla until I couldn't find any mention of it on the website.
- TrevorJ 10y agoThat was my first thought too.
- zodPod 10y agoIt makes me feel like it's a Chinese knockoff of Tesla.
- misnome 10y agoLike, "Tesla" is an original name?
- fhgksjfgh 10y agoit's a deliberate attempt to smear Tesla by associating it with another company that fails /conspiracy
- llcoolv 10y agoyou could say the same about elon musk, as the original inventor was called nikola tesla and they both ripped off the same thing also, there was an electronics company called tesla in communist czecoslovakia, which is realatively well known in central/eastern europe.
- tcoppi 10y agoInteresting that they went with onboard CNG generators that are directly charging batteries. Those types of generators are a proven reliable technology, and batteries seem to have proven mostly reliable in Tesla products, so I can see their longevity claims of 2x higher than diesel trucks being at least plausible.
- sawthat 10y agoIt's a pretty well established system in marine applications, so it seems like a good idea. Of course, the hard part isn't the tech, it's building a company.
- protomyth 10y agoCNG fuel points are actually fairly common since multiple car manufactures have CNG vehicles (mostly fleet vehicles).
- TheBiv 10y agoSo I can reserve a truck for $1,500 and an ATV for $750. I know it's just the reservation fee, but it doesn't make any sense to me.
- exhilaration 10y agoBased on the fact that every image on the site is a digital rendering, I'm going to guess they need the reservation fees to actually build the first vehicles.
- TheBiv 10y agoYeah, definitely! That is also what's confusing about the reservation price. If I was a buyer of trucks on a fleet, you can be darn sure that I'm paying more than $1,500 to land a truck.
- kerryfalk 10y agoMany trucks are owned by the drivers and not part of a fleet. I don't know what the ratio is nationally but I can say locally it's probably in the range of 50%, maybe even more are owner-operators vs. company fleet. So this pricing model would make sense to target that market.
- daveguy 10y agoYup, someone saw the Tesla preorder numbers and thought "brilliant idea! we'll do the same!". I expect their pre-orders aren't going quite as well.
- larrik 10y agoI thought this was a joke, and I'm still not sure...
- tadzik_ 10y agoI kept looking for a note saying that it's a sub-company of Tesla, and I still think that it is.
- jey 10y agoNo way, nothing from Tesla seems this bullshitty.
- mwfunk 10y agoWell, it's pretty obvious that that's one of the impressions they are trying to create, but it's almost disturbing that anyone would jump straight to that conclusion without passing through many, many, many stages of suspicion and research first.
- ctack 10y agoI can't stop thinking of The Oatmeal.
- glennos 10y agoI think it has to be.
- blowski 10y agoIf it is a joke, then they put a lot of effort into making it look serious. The CEO has a LinkedIn page, there are serious press releases on big sites, lots of mentions on forums.
- georgemcbay 10y agoIt has to be a joke... right? I don't see how it could be serious. I mean, even ignoring the naming (which only makes sense as parody), nobody is going to put down nearly $1000 to reserve a car based on what looks like a bunch of early 2000s 3D renders, right? That said, it isn't a particularly funny joke, there's not really even any subtle humor here, but at the same time I can't understand how this could be a real thing.
- ericHosick 10y ago> Never plug in - Turbine charges batteries automatically while driving. How does that work?
- tobz 10y agoThere's conventional liquid fuel on board -- gasoline, or diesel, or compressed natural gas -- that allows a turbine to run, which in turn drives a generator, which in turn charges the batteries. Same thing as the hybrid cars with an internal combustion engine that recharge the batteries, but just in a better, more efficient way.
- niels_olson 10y agoStandby for some serious noise complaints.
- tobz 10y agoEh? I'd be surprised if the proposed gas turbine was THAT loud. We're not talking afterburning turbofans from a fighter jet, or anything.
- beeboop 10y agoCounterpoint: the tiny turbine Jay Leno has in his motorcycle is tremendously louder than even the loudest semi truck.
- tobz 10y agoFair. It depends on the output of the turbine they might use. Various articles about Jay Leno's EcoJet car also says that they were looking into ways to add an "intake" muffler, also citing that the Chrysler turbine car seemed to manage to quell the intake noise. Totally valid concern, but I'm sure they'd be able to manage to quiet it down enough. If it's quieter under braking than typical semis that use jakebraking, it could be a win.
- 10y ago
- mmkx 10y agoVery unoriginal.
- usefulcat 10y agoVery meta.
- adamsch 10y agoThe whole company looks a bit shady to me. The claims, the name, the renders, no legal entity named, no info on founders/advisors/investors on the website or LinkedIn, etc. Also, why would you redesign the cabin from scratch if what's unique is the drivetrain? "NO COMPETITION" "MANY TIMES CLEANER THAN DIESEL ENGINES" "Nikola Motor Company is not currently accepting walk in visitors. After we launch the vehicles at the live press release later this year, contact numbers and locations will be provided for visits."
- flurpitude 10y agoIt feels like the Steorn of car companies. Or a dodgy Kickstarter. All designed to create a buzz with no real evidence of a product.
- sbuttgereit 10y agoThe Nikola Motor Company trademark appears to be owned by a company called: BLUEGENTECH, LLC. (https://trademarks.justia.com/866/17/nikola-86617159.html https://trademarks.justia.com/866/17/nikola-86617159.html) The Nevada corporate filing for Bluegentech, LLC: http://nvsos.gov/SOSEntitySearch/CorpDetails.aspx?lx8nvq=EAFcQmQEZdiE%252bEQ1x3mo1w%253d%253d http://nvsos.gov/SOSEntitySearch/CorpDetails.aspx?lx8nvq=EAF... And is apparently run by a guy named Troy A Wallin. I hate it when companies put up a web site and then don't say the least bit about who manages the company or is involved in it in some way. Does make things look less than honest. EDIT: I also found in an article the name of the CEO, and here is his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theofficialtrevormilton https://www.linkedin.com/in/theofficialtrevormilton ... Not sure if there actually is a direct relationship to Bluegentech, LLC... the Nikola Motor Company from the article is described as being Salt Lake City, Utah based. Bluegentech, LLC is registered as a foreign company in Utah. (And, yes, I am just avoiding real work this morning.) 2nd EDIT: Ok there is a relationship.... another Nevada corporate filing (DHYBRID, INC.) links Troy A Wallin to Trevor Milton: http://nvsos.gov/SOSEntitySearch/CorpDetails.aspx?lx8nvq=QQdt4kj8k9WCHG3LA56B8w%253d%253d http://nvsos.gov/SOSEntitySearch/CorpDetails.aspx?lx8nvq=QQd... (Ah the joy of public filings) Final EDIT: It's interesting. Going back to the original idea that the company had a fly-by-night feel. I now know that the people involved have some actual experience in their industry (at least generally). My perception of them, while still very limited, is somewhat better. I can't help but thinking that being a little more upfront about the principals would improve their first impressions... despite the name ;-)
- wyldfire 10y ago> our electric semi truck can stop nearly 2x faster than any other semi truck on the market I suppose it becomes even more critical to make sure the load is well secured within the hold.
- avs733 10y agoThey don't note from what speed and that seems like a basic physics violation to me on several points. 1 - the mass of the vehicle doesn't change significantly (they claim a 2k lb reduction in cab weight) 2- the limiting factor in truck accidents I have seen is tire grip not braking capacity I would love for this to be real, I think it is an idea with great potential and a useful and disruptive use of hybrid technology...but this company sounds like pure vaporbsware to me. They claim typical rigs last 500k miles which seems seriously low to me
- LeifCarrotson 10y agoThey may be measuring engine braking. Many trucks use Jake brakes to slow down and save their regular brakes, especially on downhills. A regular engine brake only slows you down a little, and isn't nearly traction-limited. I imagine that an electric regenerative braking system could be friction-limited.
- avs733 10y agoyeah I assume it is something like that but I just don't see how that gets expressed in feet.
- beeboop 10y agoIf I had to guess, they're measuring 2x based on the cab alone - no trailer. I would guess the combination of 2k fewer pounds and better weight distribution would potentially do it? Not sure.
- lumberjack 10y agoAt the very least this early on you should have some page listing all the people involved and their qualification along with any investors involved. It gives you legitimacy. As it stands this screams vapourware to me.
- Aelinsaar 10y agoThe name doesn't help at all either, as other posters have mentioned it seems cheap and desperate.
- bimbobimbojoe 10y agoThey had me at "Aluminum"
- TylerE 10y agoTotal vaporware. Their claimed performance is just ridiculous - they propose a massive hauler truck with 4x the battery capacity of a Tesla Model S while getting...5x the range? and 4x the HP.
- zaphoyd 10y agoIt is not a fully electric system like the Model S. The drive system is electric but the electricity itself comes from an onboard CNG turbine. The battery just acts as a buffer and place to store regenerative breaking energy.
- robotresearcher 10y agoIt's a natural gas powered hybrid, not a pure electric.
- KaiserPro 10y ago400KW turbine on the back is what provides the added range.
- stevewilhelm 10y agoAll it seems to be missing is a billionaire rocket scientist founder.
- mtw 10y agoIt looks like one of those kickstarters with shiny graphics and nice numbers that will get a few millions ... and then disappear in the wild for years
- runholm 10y agoFunfact: reddit.com/r/shittykickstarters/ is larger than reddit.com/r/kickstarter
- andr 10y agoThis appears to be a CNG hybrid-electric truck, not an electric one. Hybrid-electric buses (diesel or CNG engine generates electricity for electric motor, which spins the wheels) have been around at least for a decade. What's different/new about this? Also, from memory, burning CNG generates about half the pollution of burning diesel.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- xphilter 10y agoMy scam meeter is off the charts. It's exactly like Tesla except no tangible product, no funding, no founder with a proven track record, and way too many details.
- partisan 10y agoReminds me of Infinium for some reason. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Entertainment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Entertainment
- valarauca1 10y agoI want to list all the things wrong with this project. But the Automotive Industry does need to be disrupted so even horrible execution may work. If the founders need a software engineer with experience in emission testing, fuel economy testing, info-tainment programming, and engine control programming email: codylaeder@gmail.com based in Detroit willing to relocate (but you appear based there too).
- deadlycrayon 10y agoWhat? Did you just mildly insult the project and then ask for a job?
- VT_Drew 10y agoHe is hoping that Nikola is like some of the girls he picks up at the bar, you know the ones that "like to be mistreated".
- valarauca1 10y agoYup. An early stage startup will give you every reason not to jump on board. But the current state of the industry is riddled with inefficiencies most self created due to managerial decisions made half to a quarter century ago (then adopted by competitors). A lot of these make adopting new methodologies and technologies impossible. I'd rather work on solving problems then working around them.
- Syntaf 10y agoIt's .... like negging a corporation for a job. This is absurd
- boredpudding 10y agoLet's start with: > NEVER PLUG IN - TURBINE CHARGES BATTERIES AUTOMATICALLY WHILE DRIVING On the 'Nikola One' page. Of course this isn't possible.
- bobwaycott 10y ago
- fiatjaf 10y agoSo the door doesn't open? I don't want this.
- jpm_sd 10y agoWrightspeed (http://www.wrightspeed.com/ http://www.wrightspeed.com/) is way ahead of these guys.
- Glyptodon 10y agoAll their products seem target at city stop-n-go usage for some reason. Which is an interesting contrast. (As is already having physical products/prototypes.)
- zardo 10y agoBecause that plays to an electric vehicles strengths (torque, energy recovery, noise and air pollution levels), and avoids their weakness(energy storage capacity and charge time). Noise levels may actually be the big one, as it can allow a crew to work in designated quite hours which some communities have.
- calebsurfs 10y agoI found it odd how difficult it was to figure out what the company's products are: a CNG powered hybrid semi truck and an all terrain vehicle. (Not clear why its a UTV instead of an ATV). UTV = Utility Task Vehicle "UTVs differ from all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in that UTVs typically have a side-by-side seating arrangement, many have seat belts and roll-over protection, and most have a cargo box at the rear of the vehicle. UTVs generally have a higher payload capability and are longer and wider than ATVs"[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_by_Side_(UTV) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_by_Side_(UTV)
- JacobJans 10y agoATVs have a very different market – with different needs. UTVs are for commercial use, where a high payload is useful, such as construction. It's clear they're not a consumer company, which is why they aren't offering an ATV.
- blakeyrat 10y agoI was just thinking an electric UTV like that might be perfect for the National Parks system. I bet they have a million uses for such a vehicle, now instead being filled by noisy, offensive, gas-burning UTVs.
- atourgates 10y agoUTVs are a huge market. According to one article[1], there were 670,000 sold between 2010 and 2012. That's about 223,000 per year. They range from about $10K - $25K new, and are popular for hunting, recreation and outdoor work (think a mini pickup that can go anywhere). If we assume the average purchase price is $15K, that's $3.3 Billion in annual sales. I'm amazed by how many people around me, in rural Idaho, have spent ~$15K on one. But, even assuming this thing is real, no one is going to spend $42K on one. Especially when I suspect there's a significant overlap between "people who are skeptical of electric vehicles" and "people who are likely to purchase a UTV". You'll notice they left price out of their comparison table, because it would look like this: * NIKOLA ZERO: $42,000 * POLARIS RZR 1000 TURBO: $24,999 * CANAM MAVERICK TURBO: $22,999 * ARTIC CAT WILDCAT: $20,999 And they're comparing the Zero to top of the line most expensive models from their competitors. I think the average purchase price is probably much closer to $15K on a UTV. I will say that the pricing is the one thing that lends credibility to this company. I expect building a good electric UTV really would cost close to $40K. If I were just trying to build hype, I'd price it much closer to my competitors. [1] https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2014/07/utility-task-vehicles-by-the-numbers https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2014/07/utility-task-vehicles...
- jondiggsit 10y agoThe website, the products, the CG... all makes me think this is nonsense.
- yaur 10y agoIf its nonsense and they are taking money (which they try to do, but they don't filter test cards before it hits the processor) a better term for it is "scam".
- nealabq 10y agoIs it legal to replace the side mirrors with cameras? (Needs bigger displays for the driver.)
- Someone1234 10y agoOther manufacturers have already done so. Honda being the biggest (see Honda Landwatch). So, I'd imagine that it is.
- blux 10y agoNot sure whether it is legal. The idea is not unique, Porsche also uses this idea in one of their concept cars: http://www.porsche.com/microsite/mission-e/international.aspx#/design http://www.porsche.com/microsite/mission-e/international.asp...
- zardo 10y agoManufacturers have requested a regulatory change, but NHTSA currently requires a side view mirror. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/571.111 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/571.111
- djaychela 10y agoNot sure where to begin with this, looks like a complete scam to me, and looking at the spec of the zero buggy, it claims 20" suspension clearance (this would be travel, not clearance), and that the regenerative braking means you can corner "2-3x" faster. Knock knock. Who's there? Physics.
- mikestew 10y agoReminds me of the scene in Boiler Room when the guys from J. P. Morgan stroll into the bar and later point out that the firm in the movie, J. T. Marlin, is named such so as to try and sound like a stock firm people have heard of.
- hardlianotion 10y agoThey look wonderful to the casual eye, but the map of their fuel coverage tells me that nobody is going all the way cross-country without carrying their own topups.
- codeulike 10y agoWhere an EV would really work is farm tractors. They sit in a shed 20 hours per day and occasionally do a few hours intensive high torque work.
- sah2ed 10y agoApparently, the Nikola Motor Company is a Utah-based startup. According to [1]: "The company is run by Trevor Milton, a former executive at dHybrid Systems, which developed a CNG system for tractor-trailers that’s now owned by Worthington Industries." [1] http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2016/05/11/nikola-motors-sleek-hybrid-semi-is-tesla-trucks/ http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2016/05/11/nikola-motors-slee...
- JoshuaJB 10y agoThe company's Facebook account only appeared on May 1st and their Twitter sometime since then [1][2]. It also appears that their website only became public on May 4th [3]. Given the recentness of their public presence, I would not imagine that they were expecting this much publicity yet. I think that they are legitimate because the "What's Inside" photo for the Nikola One is definitely an export from a real CAD model [4]. And Google Image search cannot find the photos they have on their social media profiles used anywhere else besides when referring to them [5]. That said, they seem distinctly in the prototype phase and have a long way to go before actually shipping something. Tesla took 6 years to ship less than 150 cars. [6] [1] https://twitter.com/nikolamotor https://twitter.com/nikolamotor [2] https://www.facebook.com/nikolamotorcompany https://www.facebook.com/nikolamotorcompany [3] http://whois.domaintools.com/nikolamotor.com http://whois.domaintools.com/nikolamotor.com [4] https://nikolamotor.com/one#safety https://nikolamotor.com/one#safety (my dad does mechanical engineering, and the only place I've seen pictures like the one on Nikola's page is in CAD exports) [5] (monster URL, had to shorten) http://tinyurl.com/zsvt8hx http://tinyurl.com/zsvt8hx [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Motors#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Motors#History
- salimmadjd 10y agoThe Truck seems very interesting, if real, they claim it is [0] With the range of 1000 miles A - it can provide enough distance for arriving at a cargo bay; B - enough distance before the driver is required to rest (at 50mph that's about 20 hours of driving) and can recharge the truck. Aside from the obvious environmental impact (as long as the electric source is not coal), an electric truck makes it an easier pathway for having autonomous trucking. [0] https://www.facebook.com/nikolamotorcompany/photos/a.1758627627685897.1073741828.1739715679577092/1758897084325618/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/nikolamotorcompany/photos/a.1758627...
- ieatfood 10y agoThe truck doesn't recharge -- it fills up. It carries a tank of fuel (natural gas being the main one they're promoting) and has a generator to charge the battery.
- arcticbull 10y agoSite looks super shady, however the technology could work. They're pitching a series hybrid CNG (they do call it fuel agnostic and state Diesel would work too) turbine-electric truck. Very similar to the way hybrid Diesel trains work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_train https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_train
- frankus 10y agoThis does smell a bit like a "throw together a lot of high-tech buzzwords" design exercise more than a real product. First, series hybrids are generally a bad idea for road-going vehicles, where a mechanical link is a) pretty straightforward and b) a lot more efficient at cruise, which is where fuel economy really matters for most applications. Secondly, gas turbines are primarily an advantage where power-to-weight ratio is important (much more of a concern in, say, a helicopter than a heavy truck). They are generally less efficient than diesels, especially at the size needed to power a truck, and even more so when running at less than full power. (Incidentally, diesels are pretty trivial to convert to run on CNG). This approach (minus the energy storage) has been tried for locomotives and found to be lacking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_turbine_locomotive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_turbine_locomotive.
- Glyptodon 10y agoI feel like perhaps a lot of the comments here are being a tad overly dismissive because a) Nikola as a name is bit of a rip on Tesla (and I imagine will eventually lead to a TM suit of some kind), and b) because it's not more obvious that the vehicle is CNG -> Electric and not just an EV. That said, who knows if they'll successfully make it to market. The premise behind the truck sounds quite reasonable, though I don't really get the UTV, but that's maybe because I associate similar vehicles with Dudes going on proctored hunting expeditions.
- excalibur 10y agoWas poor planning to use the name "Nikola Zero" for their electric dunebuggy when it clearly should have been saved for the self-driving semi cab.
- dammitcoetzee 10y agoOh. Not so far fetched from an economics standpoint. We've been burning natural gas into the air for years because there's no demand for the supply. Build a product to create the demand for a surplus thing that needs a market. Big trucks are understood. Battery systems at this scale are understood, also natural gas motors that run at this size are understood. It's imminently buildable.
- HillaryBriss 10y ago> there's no demand for the supply huh? but, natural gas has, like, a positive price and people buy it to heat their homes and stuff.
- eistrati 10y agoNice try to use Tesla's success and nail couple of millions (to be read: US$) for nothing. The difference is Tesla already produced other cars, that's why people invested in something that it's not produced yet. Disclosure: I'm not a Tesla owner, neither gave deposits for any of their cars, which I find very stupid, but it's not my money :)
- mwfunk 10y agoThe choice of name alone ensures that the first impression is of a copycat at best and a scam at worst. Even if neither of those things are true and this company is totally legit, the fact that whoever is behind this company chose to use the name really kills their credibility. So, three possibilities here: * The whole thing is a scam * It's a copycat company * The backers have money and/or connections but no taste or business sense All from a name. Congrats guys, way to crater a business before it even gets off the ground. It's like trying to compete with Ford by naming your company "Henry".
- neves 10y agoIs it a joke with (Nikola) Tesla?
- pmarreck 10y agoName is terrible. Someone already took that name, guys.
- patrickg_zill 10y agoTruckers are pretty conservative. I don't see an owner-operator being willing to buy one, since if it fails on the road it could take a day or more to get it fixed/replaced. However, I do see 2 markets for the vehicles: 1. Trucking that has a defined area of operation such as say, the truck that does local deliveries in a city covered by a listed CNG center; or a point to point route. In such a case the long haul truckers will deliver to a big warehouse; then another trucker will load up for deliveries locally. E.g. ice cream, lettuce, carrots delivered by 3 diff. trucks to warehouse; then 1 truck to deliver a mix of these items to each local store in a grocery store chain . 2. For the Zero, there are lots of park rangers that right now have pickup trucks - they drive around the same city or state parks all the time and have 2 way radios. Since they can't go fast anyways, like 10 or 20 miles an hour, the range limitation won't kill them.
- kpwagner 10y agoI don't think the site looks "shady" as many have said. It just has some shady information: to anyone with half a brain, it's clear you are not getting whole story. My impression is the company is insecure about their product and ability to execute, so they are overcompensating with big promises and deception. Shame really; because for all we know they are smart and well-intentioned.
- lowlevel 10y agoI'm 100% sure this is a complete scam. I'm also sure the person behind it is fairly young and inexperienced in the art of ripping people off.
- lowlevel 10y agoI'm 100% sure this is a complete scam. I'm also sure the person behind it is fairly young and inexperienced in the art of ripping people off.
- manigandham 10y agoWith all the shady companies with questionable tech going around, it's about time we agree on a simple test: Show us the proof. Either a prototype or a model or something that physically works. Until then it's all dreams/vaporware/scam depending on how dubious it seems.
- bitwize 10y agoThe name is too similar to Tesla. Tjey should choose another. I hear Infinium Labs is no longer taken.
- ommunist 10y agoThough something in their pitch reminds me some superpower notebooks "L-something" 15 years ago, that were never produced, so I am a bit sceptical about the reality of this promise. But I wish them luck.
- awestley 10y agoApril (May) Fools?
- demarq 10y agoI wonder what it would sound like? The spooling of a gas turbine together with the whirl of 2000hp electric motors...
- lafar6502 10y agobut why electric? why not a normal, LPG or CNG combustion engine? LPG bus fleets are quite popular in Europe so these engines should also be able to power trucks without the need for hybrid drive.
- perseusprime11 10y agoThis is the kind of thing that gets me. If they cannot work harder on the name then how hard will they really work to realize their product...
- taylo5 10y agoI think this is very legit, and when we see a built prototype, which they project by the end of the year, it could be a game changer in fleets. If you research the owner (Trevor Milton), you'll find he started a company called D Hybrid. It involved natural gas conversion technology of diesel systems. It was bought by Worthington Industries, a publicly traded company, so he was able to pass that test. This seems like a logical profession of an innovator. The name does seem like a miss step, but they aren't a direct competitor with Tesla motors (at this stage). I'm only basing this on what I can trace about the founder and I'm thinking the founder is an innovator that knows what they are doing. As they say, build it and they will come. They'll call you crazy or a fraud until you do. My bet is this is very real and we'll know relatively soon.
- taylo5 10y agoListed are former patents by the founder Trevor Milton at his prior company dHYBID, which was purchased by a publicly traded company. http://patents.justia.com/inventor/trevor-milton http://patents.justia.com/inventor/trevor-milton Here is the dHYBRID website, now under Worthington. http://worthingtonindustries.com/Products/On-board-Fueling/CNG-Fuel-Systems http://worthingtonindustries.com/Products/On-board-Fueling/C...