We still have a couple of years to wait for the production version of the Nikola semi. That hasn't stopped the Phoenix-based EV startup from announcing its next concept, the Badger electric pickup truck. Beyond the name, what stands out most about this new front in the EV pickup wars is that it appears Nikola plans to offer two versions: One has a battery-electric powertrain, the other a combination fuel-cell and battery-electric powertrain. The BEV model can go 300 miles on a charge; pairing it with the hydrogen fuel-cell stack doubles range to an estimated 600 miles, the push of a button in the cabin enabling the "battery-blend" mode. Continuous horsepower comes in at 455, peaking at 906 hp, torque rated at 980 pound-feet. With the help of a supercapacitor launch system that helps deliver repeatable performance, zero to 60 miles per hour takes just 2.9 seconds.

Whereas Rivian's gone for the adventure market, Nikola's looking at fleet/work truck/construction operators as well. Said CEO Trevor Milton, the Badger "can handle a full day's worth of work without running out of energy. This electric truck can be used for work, weekend getaways, towing, off-roading or to hit the ski slopes without performance loss. No other electric pickup can operate in these temperatures and conditions." The firm tabbed Dave Sparks, otherwise known as Heavy D from the Discovery Channel show "Diesel Brothers," to help with the design and development "in real-world environments;" his efforts will be part of a video series documenting the Badger's birth and progress.

Starting with a base composed of a 160-kWh lithium-ion battery and a 120-kW fuel cell, the Badger wears traditional four-door truck bodywork over a five-seat interior. The sheetmetal stretches 231.8 inches long, 85 inches wide, and nearly 73 inches tall, with a 61.5-inch bed. That puts the Badger's roof four inches lower than a Ford F-150 Lariat 4x4 with the eight-foot Styleside bed, while being 1.5 inches wider. The strange thing is that the Badger is four inches longer than the Ford, with a bed that's up to three feet shorter (though you have to get the shorter F-150 SuperCab to get Ford's biggest box). If the renderings are to scale, it appears that the Badger's front end and front seating area take up a unexpected chunk of the truck's length, akin to the proportions on the Bollinger EV trucks.

To serve hardhat types, Nikola's engineered commercial-grade capability. We're told ambient temperatures of -20 Fahrenheit have negligible effect on performance or state-of-charge. A 15-kW power outlet can run equipment on-site "for approximately 12 hours without a generator." On its own, it can climb 40% grades. Towing capacity exceeds 8,000 pounds, and at its GVWR of 18,000 pounds with a trailer, the Badger can "launch from a standstill on a 30% grade without motor stall."

We've gone from a field that Workhorse plowed alone three years ago to a bumper crop of EV pickup announcements. The next two years could welcome rollouts from Bollinger (mid 2021), Ford, Hummer (late 2021), Neuron T.One, Rivian (late 2020), Tesla (late 2021), and the OG Workhorse that's now Lordstown Motors, with prices so far ranging from the claim of a $39,000 Cybertruck to the $125,000 B1. There's going to be one amazing group test in 2022.

Nikola said it's working with an OEM partner and the "Badger will be built in conjunction with another OEM utilizing their certified parts and manufacturing facilities," but wouldn't name the OEM. In Europe, Nikola's partnership with Iveco Trucks resulted in the production Nikola Tre semi coming together faster than anticipated, and an order book said to extend out "many years." Iveco, however, doesn't have any manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

In February, Nikola surprised us twice — first by announcing an electric pickup called Badger, second by disclosing specs for two powertrains, one of them pure battery-electric, the other a BEV with a hydrogen fuel cell range extender, both fitted with a supercapacitor launch system to help deliver repeatable acceleration performance. Nikola CEO Trevor Milton has imparted more Badger news this week on Twitter, and again, a few surprises come in tow. The most important bit is that pre-orders for the truck open on June 29. Milton didn't open up about pre-order details like the amount of the deposit, but those who pre-order will get something concrete for their money: Priority access to tickets for Nikola World 2020. The event was scheduled to take place in Phoenix in September, but the date might have changed; Milton said he'll announce this year's Nikola World date on June 29. According the tweet, the company will bring a "a real operating truck, not a fake show truck" to Phoenix, and the crowd that will crawl all over the Badger can "Expect stamped metal panels, functioning interior w/ hvac, 4x4, etc."

Yet another tweet showed a CAD-rendered image of the Badger's interior with a wider angle than before. There are small detail changes from the first image from February that make the interior look more production-ready, if less fancy, and we can see useful inclusions like the four USB ports and two 110-volt outlets on the back of the center console. Milton wrote that there will be a cargo retention system in the floor to secure loads in the cab, plus a hidden fridge, and "waterproof" quality.

When we lined up the Badger's stated dimensions against a Ford F-150 Lariat 4x4 with an eight-foot bed in February, the math showed the Badger to be 1.5 inches wider and four inches longer, even though the Badger's bed is only a shade over five feet. Our comparison holds up based on an interview Milton gave to TechCrunch. When discussing the Badger's segment and comparing his truck to the Rivian R1T, he told the outlet, "We went directly after the Ford F-150 market and it’ll be a direct competitor to the Tesla Cybertruck as well,” and, "The Rivian is a small truck like a Toyota Tacoma and will not compete in the construction world nor the Ford F-150, bigger pickup market that’s focused on home businesses, construction and things like that. The Rivian is more of a consumer model that is used for outdoor recreational activities."

One of Nikola's Instagram posts said the Badger would be priced from $60,000 to $90,000. That's a wide middle ground to the estimated starting prices of the others: $39,000 Cybertruck, $52,000 Lordstown Motors Endurance, $69,000 Rivian R1T, and $125,000 Bollinger B1.

For that money, the Badger offers a wide spec bracket. The battery-only model gets a 160-kWh pack that powers a 300-mile range. The electric motors provide a continuous 455 horsepower that maxes out at 906 hp, and 908 pound-feet of torque. The trim with the 120-kW FCEV extender can run for 600 miles between top-ups. Ready for another surprise? Car and Driver writes that if a buyer gets the pure battery model, he can upgrade the powertrain with the FCEV unit at a later date. A 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds makes a nice counterpoint to 8,000 pounds of towing capacity. A 15-kW on-board power supply is said to be able to run equipment "for approximately 12 hours without a generator."

At one point, Nikola said it was working with Dave Sparks, otherwise known as Heavy D from the Discovery Channel show "Diesel Brothers," to help with the design and development "in real-world environments." Sparks' involvement was also going to be part of a video series documenting the Badger's birth and progress, but that might be in limbo after a U.S. District Court hit the Diesel Brothers with an $845,451 fine in March for violating the Clean Air Act.

That's about the only high-profile hiccup to be even distantly associated with Nikola Motors. Investors are already so bullish on the six-year-old company that the Twitter announcement about pre-orders sent Nikola stock soaring — doubling in value since Monday. Mind you, the stock debuted on June 4 after Nikola entered a reverse merger with VectoIQ, a company headed by ex-GM vice chairman Stephen Girsky. As TechCrunch distilled the facts of this week's hubbub, "Against that backdrop of bold vision but no products — or even revenue — Nikola Motor is valued at $28.63 billion as of market close Tuesday. Nikola’s market capitalization eclipsed Ford at one point Tuesday."

Nor does Nikola have a factory yet; a facility in Coolidge, Airzona, should begin construction this year, but Bloomberg writes that Nikola doesn't expect to use the plant's full capacity until 2028.

Before then, Milton said the "Badger will be built in conjunction with another OEM utilizing their certified parts and manufacturing facilities." Nikola has a truck headed to production in Europe, developed in conjunction with Iveco. As Autoblog commenters pointed out in February, the Agnelli family owns Iveco, and Fiat Chrysler. Purely speculatively, it's possible Nikola plans to work with FCA here to get the Badger to market for a 2022 launch. We'll know more soon.

The next step toward the Nikola Badger pickup eventually making a home on public roads happens today, with pre-orders officially open. Badger-intenders can take advantage of one of three pre-order levels from $250 to $5,000, all of which sweeten the pickup pot with further discounts on the MSRP and the chance to win a truck via raffle. Tickets to Nikola World are part of the deal, too, the company announcing the event date as December 3-5 of this year. The eager and inquisitive that make it to Phoenix for the shindig "will have the chance to see the Badger in action," which sounds like there will be more than a static display of wares.

Party guests must be sure to check out the Badger's latest, heralded party trick: A water faucet. In answer to the question of what the hydrogen fuel cell Badger does with the water that results from operation, CEO Trevor Milton responded on Twitter with, "[We] will use most of it for our windshield washer fluid and then some for pure driver drinking water. Yes you heard that right, we will have a drinking fountain in our truck."

Drinking the H2O straight from a fuel cell automobile has been a sideshow for the segment for at least five years; a Car and Driver reviewer did it with a Toyota Mirai, and an Olympic sprinter did it with a Hyundai Tucson FCEV on live TV. Drinking fuel cell water isn't new, either — Apollo astronauts drank it in the 1960s, as did astronauts on the NASA space shuttles, as will the sailors on FCEV-powered submarines. And though hydrogen-rich water has caused some reported issues of flatulence (Neil Armstrong said the Apollo 11 command module smelled like "a cross between wet dog and marsh grass," and Buzz Aldrin joked that the gas output could be used for propulsion), these days it's touted as a restorative. If the Badger's water is that clean, though, owners skeptical of trace metals or something crawling up the tailpipe can use it to water their plants without guilt.

Expanding the sideshow, Nikola says it has also opened pre-orders for its NZT side-by-side and Water Adventure Vehicle (WAV) electric jet ski concept today, and the duo will again be on display at Nikola World in December.