Michael Loscheller
The former Opel manager is leaving the Nikola after less than a year.
(Photo: Reuters)
The US electric truck manufacturer Nikola is changing its boss for the fourth time in four years. Former Opel manager Michael Lohscheller is leaving the ailing company for family reasons after less than a year in the post and is returning to Europe, Nikola announced on Friday. The successor is the previous chairman of the board of directors, Steven Girsky, who was once known for his role in rescuing the car giant General Motors.
Nikola is currently fully focused on the development of fuel cell commercial vehicles. In the past quarter, Nikola reported a net loss of nearly $218 million on sales of $15 million. In contrast, the loss in continuing operations fell by 32 to 140 million dollars. On the stock exchange, the share price collapsed by 16.4 percent.
Lohscheller came to Nikola in February 2022. First he led the engine division, but then advanced to the post of chief at the end of the year. The company, which was rocked by fraud allegations against founder Trevor Milton in 2020, started production of its fuel cell trucks in late July and aims to deliver the first of them in September. So far there have been orders for 200 vehicles, it said on Friday.
Nikola built 33 of its battery-powered trucks last quarter. The annual production capacity for models with both powertrains has meanwhile been increased to up to 2400 per year.
More: Inside Nikola – How the start-up still wants to revolutionize the truck world