Nikola revokes accusations of foul play, cites battery defect as reason for truck hearth at headquarters

Nikola has decided {that a} battery defect was the reason for a hearth that ignited a number of automobiles at their headquarters in Arizona earlier this summer time. 

The hearth occurred on June twenty third at Nikola’s firm headquarters at fortieth Road and Broadway Highway in Phoenix, Arizona, at round 5 a.m. There have been 4 electrical semi truck consumed by the flames, together with video footage of one other automobile pulling away from the vans simply previous to the hearth. Now, nevertheless, the corporate says they’ve dominated out foul play and imagine a battery defect is the rationale behind the blaze. 

Based on Arizona Household Information, unbiased investigators positioned a coolant leak in a battery pack, and a second leak inflicting a hearth was recorded on the firm’s Coolidge plant. The 2 situations have led Nikola to imagine {that a} coolant leak is what began the Phoenix hearth. 

Because of the findings, Nikola has issued a recall of 209 semi vans and halted all additional gross sales till a repair will be put into place. Within the meantime, Nikola electrical vans out on the street can keep out, however the firm advises that the Foremost Battery Disconnect must be switched to “ON” always and that the vans ought to stay parked exterior. 

“Up to now, solely two battery packs have skilled a thermal occasion, out of greater than 3,100 packs on vans produced thus far,” Nikola mentioned in a information launch.

“At Nikola, we take security very critically,” mentioned Steve Girsky, Nikola’s CEO. “We said from the start that as quickly as our investigations have been concluded, we would offer an replace, and we’ll proceed our transparency as we be taught extra.”