Hey @seanmmitchell, I love you man but I think you’re so wrong!
$NKLA $NKLAQ
Correct me if I’m misrepresenting your ideas but your simplified reasoning is as follows:
1) Toyota has a history of investing in EV startups (Tesla)
2) Toyota has interest in fuel cells
3) Toyota has their own pickups they’d like to electrify with fuel cells
4) Toyota wants access to Nikola’s technology
5) Toyota wants access to Nikola’s gas station network

Correct?
Let me say why I don’t think it will be Toyota making Badger.

Before I address your points directly, I’ll add that Trevor has repeatedly said that the OEMs he claims to have shortlisted are US OEMs. Whilst twisted semantics doesn’t necessarily exclude Toyota, I doubt they count.
1) Anyway, to address your first point, whilst Toyota did invest in an early Tesla to use their tech and hopefully profit off it, they also didn’t invest in a great many other EV startups that could have helped them. Unless they have a thing for companies named after Serbian
inventors, I don’t think this is a strong indication that they would invest in Nikola, which, to be fair, isn’t something you’re claiming.
2) Toyota does have an interest in fuel cells, they’ve been making them for many years!
Though a complete flop, Mirai has proven that Toyota can do it by themselves. So, whilst it helps the case a bit, I feel it’s the same as expecting Tesla to build Rivian trucks for their tech.
3) Again, this is true but not by any means indicative of a partnership. If Toyota can do it themselves, they will probably try to.

Of course, you didn’t present it as proof, just as a potential motive, but even then I doubt they would be motivated to use third party tech.
4) Speaking of tech, Nikola doesn’t have any!

You can look through their patents online, as I have done, and like me you won’t find anything relating to hydrogen fuel cells at all!

Your comment section looks like it agrees with me here when I say Nikola has no useful patents.
Perhaps they do and I just haven’t seen them but so far, it’s looking like Nikola’s business partners have the IP, not Nikola. If Toyota really needed to licence the powertrain tech, they should go straight to the source.

Nikola adds no value! (Except possibly branding)
5) This is the only solid reason, however it still isn’t strong.
If Nikola’s network of hydrogen gas stations ever does exist, it will be in Nikola’s best interest to make them public for all FCEVs. Requiring that anyone who uses them must also build Nikola trucks is absurd!
But even if Nikola did demand some sort of exchange for use of their stations, there’s no reason why Badger construction would have to be a part of that.
Ok, to summarise:
Nikola adds nothing tech-wise of value
Toyota can electrify perfectly fine by itself
Nikola will probably make the fuel stations public anyway
Badger also has piss-poor demand
So who do I think will make Badger?
Well, initially I thought it might be Ford but now I don’t think any OEM with a brain cell between them will want to make Badger. If there is an OEM, I believe it’ll be some obscure brand most people haven’t heard of.
Anyway, I’m sure I’ve misrepresented your arguments a bit so I beg you to correct me where that is the case. Either way, I just cannot see Toyota being the Badger OEM and I hope my reasoning at least sways your opinion somewhat.

Have a nice day!
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