Nikola Stock Surges 104% on Third Day of Trading

Trevor Milton, chairman and founder of Nikola Motor Co.
Trevor Milton, chairman and founder of Nikola. (Nikola Motor Co.)

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Move over, Tesla Inc., another environmentally friendly vehicle maker is stealing your sunshine. Nikola Corp. surged 104% in its third day of trading on the Nasdaq after a reverse merger with VectoIQ Acquisition Corp.

Trevor Milton, the chairman and founder of the hydrogen truck maker, has already set lofty goals. The company said last week that preorders for its vehicles topped $10 billion and it expects to start generating revenue in 2021.

RELATED: Nikola Goes Public; Class 8 Battery-Electric Vehicle Due in 2021



The stock spiked higher June 8 after Milton tweeted that reservations for Nikola’s zero-emission truck, dubbed the Badger, would kick off later this month.

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Investor interest in Nikola is growing. The Phoenix-based company added another $6 billion to its valuation after last week’s $12 billion market debut.

Nikola may face an uphill battle to create infrastructure, such as charging stations, for its fuel cell vehicles.

RELATED: Nikola’s Badger Pickup Truck Touts 600-Mile Range

And like its other alternative fuel peer named after the same inventor, another unwanted similarity comes from an abundance of short-sellers. Bearish bets against Nikola reached a new peak of more than 20% of the public float this month, according to data from financial analytics firm S3 Partners.

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