Nikola recalls battery-electric trucks following fire investigation
Aug 18, 2023, 1:15 PM | Updated: 1:20 pm
(Johnny Jaffe Photo)
Nikola Corp. is recalling 209 of its Tre battery-electric trucks after a third-party investigation found that a coolant leak in a battery pack sparked a fire at the company’s Phoenix headquarters in June.
Nikola (Nasdaq: NKLA) is temporarily halting sales of its battery-electric trucks as “a precautionary measure,” the company said.
“At Nikola we take safety very seriously,” Steve Girsky, Nikola’s CEO, said in an Aug. 11 statement. “We stated from the beginning that as soon as our investigations were concluded we would provide an update and we will continue our transparency as we learn more.”
Internal investigations by Nikola’s safety and engineering teams found that a single supplier component within its battery packs are the likely source of the coolant leaks. Efforts are underway to “provide a field remedy in the coming weeks,” according to the company.
The findings were further corroborated by a “minor thermal incident” that impacted one battery pack on a truck parked at the company’s Coolidge plant in Pinal County south of Phoenix on Aug. 10. No one was injured in either incident.
This story is posted in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal. Click to read the full story.