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Not exactly. In a September 2020 response to short seller Hindenburg Research, Nikola said it had never claimed the Nikola One shown in a promotional video was moving under its own power. Contemporary coverage described the company as acknowledging that the prototype rolled downhill. That is narrower than admitting it faked the demonstration or accepting every allegation about the truck.
What happened in the Nikola One video?
The controversy centered on a promotional video showing Nikola’s Nikola One semi-truck prototype in motion. Nikola’s September 14, 2020 response characterized the video as third-party promotional material and said the company had not represented that the truck was operating under its own propulsion. The company also discussed the truck rolling downhill. Nikola’s response
Contemporaneous reporting summarized the company’s acknowledgment as the prototype rolling down a hill. BBC News coverage That supports saying the vehicle was shown rolling downhill; it does not support describing Nikola’s statement as a blanket admission that every claim in Hindenburg’s report was true.
What did Nikola deny, and what did critics allege?
Nikola’s position
Nikola disputed Hindenburg’s characterization of the video and said it had not claimed that the truck in the clip was driving under its own power. That is a statement about what the video represented, not proof that the prototype was fully functional or capable of driving under its own power.
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Hindenburg’s interpretation
Hindenburg Research’s short-seller report characterized the video as misleading. Nikola disputed that characterization in its response. The company’s acknowledgment about the downhill roll should therefore be kept separate from the broader disagreement over the report. Hindenburg Research’s report
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do the federal allegations fit in?
In July 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice announced allegations that former Nikola CEO Trevor Milton had made false statements about the Nikola One, including representing it as fully functioning while knowing it was inoperable. The DOJ announcement concerns allegations about Milton’s statements and the prototype; it is not the same as Nikola’s 2020 response about how the promotional video depicted the truck. U.S. Department of Justice announcement
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Separately, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s complaint alleged that the fuel cell and hydrogen storage tanks had not been installed in the Nikola One at its 2016 unveiling, and that Milton’s stated reasons for not driving it then were false. These are allegations in an SEC complaint, not a finding contained in Nikola’s video response. SEC announcement and complaint
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What the record supports
- About the video: Nikola said it had not claimed the truck shown was moving under its own propulsion; contemporary reporting described the prototype as rolling downhill.
- About the wider controversy: Hindenburg disputed Nikola’s presentation of the video, while Nikola challenged Hindenburg’s account.
- About the Nikola One’s functionality: DOJ and SEC allegations concerning Milton and the prototype are separate from the narrow question of how the video was filmed.
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