Nikola’s newly appointed CEO, Steve Girsky, who took over in August this year, draws a striking parallel with how GM once underestimated Tesla. Speaking during a Q&A session, he emphasised that Tesla was often seen in the past as “just a bunch of engineers playing with laptop batteries”. Girsky believes that Nikola now has a significant advantage over its competitors, reminiscent of the underrated position Tesla held in its early years.
Girsky served on the board of GM from 2009 to 2016. As CEO of Nikola, he notes that there is an infectious energy within the organisation. He attributes much of this enthusiasm to the team’s unwavering “never-say-die” attitude. Girsky believes it is this same spirit that has enabled Tesla to build the significant position it holds today.
Reflecting on his tenure at GM, Girsky said: “I asked about Tesla and was told it was just a bunch of engineers playing with laptop batteries… That was the conventional wisdom at the time, and we know how that turned out… Tesla got a 10-year head start on the entire industry. Girsky believes Nikola now has a similar opportunity to leapfrog the competition.
“The big guys are writing off the zero-emission truck industry,” he said. “I know they’re playing with prototypes, but they think this technology is for the end of the decade at the earliest.” Nikola may have some very serious concerns about viability, but it has spent many years developing both all-electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks.
In fact, Girsky says that one of the brand’s Gamma hydrogen fuel cell trucks is in testing and recently drove 900 miles (1,448 km) in a single day. He then challenged anyone to show him another “zero-emission vehicle truck anywhere” that could travel that far in a day.
Obviously, Tesla went from being dismissed to the powerhouse it is today in part because car manufacturers didn’t believe in profitable electric cars. Now it’s clear that Tesla’s influence has spanned the globe and just about every single car manufacturer on it, including those specialising in sports cars and trucks.
If Nikola can be half as successful, it’ll be a resounding comeback story, given recent developments.
