Can Nikola become the next Tesla?
Not if a suspicious short-seller has its way
ONE WAY to try to emulate Tesla’s success is to name your firm after the same person. Nikola, founded in 2014 to make electric and hydrogen-powered lorries, is, like Elon Musk’s carmaker, named after Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American pioneer of electricity. Nikola’s market value nudged $30bn after it went public in June. Some investors were puzzled that a firm not yet selling vehicles could be worth more than Ford, which sold 5.4m last year. Nikola’s share price fell back over the next two months. It jumped again on September 8th, after General Motors said it would take an 11% stake in the firm.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Short circuit”
Business September 19th 2020
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