Nikola Corporation has launched the European version of its heavy-duty battery-electric Class 8 truck, the Tre, in Europe today in collaboration with its transport partner IVECO. Nikola will officially accept orders for the fully-electric, zero-emissions Tre semi-truck starting today.
Nikola and IVECO announced today at the IAA Transportation 2022 event in Hanover, Germany, that the European 4×2 Arctic version of the Tre BEV is officially available for orders. It features nine batteries for total energy storage of 738 kWh, giving the vehicle a range of 530 kilometers, or roughly 329 miles. The truck also features 480 kW of continuous power to the FPT Industrial e-Axle, Nikola said, giving the vehicle enough torque and power to handle the most grueling hub-to-hub deliveries in a regional setting.
During the company’s Q2 Earnings, Nikola said in its Shareholder Deck that it launched a joint venture with IVECO that included engineering and production development. It also mentioned that both Nikola and IVECO planned to begin production of the Tre BEV in Europe in the second half of 2023. With orders just being placed, it gives Nikola roughly a year to begin production of the Tre BEV for the European market.
Nikola’s recently-appointed President, Michael Lohscheller, commented on the development:
“The Nikola Tre battery-electric and fuel cell electric zero-emission trucks are true game changers in commercial trucking. Specifically developed as electric vehicles, they deliver the performance and driving experience able to compete with their diesel-powered peers in the toughest heavy-duty missions. They offer operationally and financially viable zero-emissions solutions for regional applications and long-distance hauling that will give customers a true competitive advantage.”
- Credit: Nikola
- Credit: Nikola
IVECO Group Truck Business Unit President Luca Sra also commented on the announcement of the Tre BEV’s order log opening:
“Today we are making history with the first products for the European market of IVECO’s powerful partnership with Nikola Corporation. Together, our teams have designed a modular platform capable of hosting both fuel cell and battery propulsion technologies, starting with the European 4×2 Artic version of the Nikola Tre BEV heavy-duty truck making its debut here today. It is the first-ever electric-born modular platform for articulated heavy-duty tractors hosting both energy sources: battery-electric for missions of approximately 500 km and fuel cell electric powertrain for hauling up to 800 km in its first generation. A true revolution that marks a tangible step towards our ambitious goal of achieving a zero-emissions transport.”
The Tre is in no way a new vehicle to the global automotive market as Nikola started production and deliveries of the semi-truck in the United States earlier this year. In Q2, Nikola built 50 Tre BEVs at its factory in Coolidge, Arizona, delivering 48 of those units.
Nikola has made a dramatic turnaround from where it was just one year ago. After assuming new leadership in its CEO roles and mixing up various other positions, Nikola has launched production and deliveries of the Tre this year, which is likely more than anyone thought the company would be capable of.
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Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner
Tesla is using recycled steel from Cybertruck manufacturing for the Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles.

Tesla Cybertruck panels that are leftover from manufacturing became the main course at the Supercharger Diner, contributing to the futuristic restaurant’s unique exterior design.
The Supercharger Diner was an idea of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s in 2018, and in July 2025, it officially opened for business, serving a variety of interesting dishes in a futuristic setting that pays homage to the 1950s restaurant experience.
The design of the Diner is what truly sets it apart: it is reminiscent of the stainless exterior that Tesla used for the Cybertruck. It turns out that’s exactly what it is.

Credit: Tesla
Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen revealed in an interview with Tesla Owners Club Austria that the company used recycled panels from Cybertruck manufacturing as siding on the epic diner.
Here’s what he said:
Tesla Diner was inspired by the Jetson‘s and was built with steel from @cybertruck production 🛸 pic.twitter.com/3t4038RY4H
— Tesla Club Austria (@TeslaClubAT) August 4, 2025
Tesla sourced its stainless steel for the exoskeleton of the Cybertruck from Steel Dynamics Inc. and its plant in Sinton, Texas. The company confirmed this through various outlets, including exhibit descriptions at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The steel is refined through a third party before it is used.

Credit: Cybertruck Owners Club
It also uses the same steel for SpaceX Starship.
It’s pretty interesting that Tesla chose to use the stainless steel for the exterior of the diner in Los Angeles, but it also makes sense considering how durable it has proven to be.
Elon Musk
Tesla ‘activist shareholders’ sue company and Elon Musk for Robotaxi rollout
Tesla’s activist shareholders are coming after the company, claiming it misled investors about the Robotaxi rollout.

Tesla’s “activist shareholders” seem to be one of the biggest threats to the company and its CEO, Elon Musk, who has spoken extensively about them in recent times. They’re up to their latest bit of work against the company, suing both Tesla and Musk, accusing them of securities fraud by alleging they concealed “significant risk” over the Robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas.
On Monday night, a group of shareholders sued Tesla and Musk in a proposed class action lawsuit in Texas federal court. They claim Tesla misled investors about the safety of the vehicles used in the Robotaxi rollout in Austin, which started on June 22.
The suit indicates that videos show the vehicles “speeding, exhibiting sudden braking, driving over a curb, entering the wrong lane, and dropping passengers off in the middle of multilane roads.” Reuters first reported on the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages for shareholders between April 19, 2023, and June 22, 2025.
Tesla’s Robotaxi platform has been operating for less than two months, and the company has already expanded its geofence in Austin twice.
🚨 Tesla Austin Robotaxi geofence sizes (in square miles):
Initial: 6/22 – ~20 square miles
First Expansion: 7/14 – ~42 square miles
Second Expansion: 8/3 – ~80 square miles pic.twitter.com/IwnvSJseE4
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 3, 2025
In the roughly six weeks that Robotaxi has been operational, Tesla has only had one incident reported to the Austin Government, and it was a “Safety Concern” in June 2025. Since July 2023, which is when autonomous vehicle operation began in Austin, 130 incidents have been reported. AV Ride, Cruise, Waymo, and Zoox also operate in Austin.
Waymo has the most incidents with 73. Its first was in June 2024 when a unit blocked traffic.
Activist Shareholders
Musk has warned that activist shareholders are potentially dangerous to both Tesla and his position as CEO. He recently spoke about them during the Q2 Earnings Call regarding his stake in the company:
“That is a major concern for me, as I’ve mentioned in the past. I hope that is addressed at the upcoming shareholders meeting. But, yeah, it is a big deal. I want to find that I’ve got so little control that I can easily be ousted by activist shareholders after having built this army of humanoid robots. I think my control over Tesla, Inc. should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction, but not so much control that I can’t be thrown out if I go crazy.”
Tesla’s Board yesterday made an attempt to help secure Musk’s stake by offering him a massive 96 million share pay package of restricted stock. It will only help his stake in the company bump up slightly to 14.6 percent from 12.9 percent.
News
Radical Tesla aero patent may make new Roadster’s ~1-sec 0-60 mph launch feasible
The patent is for a multi-mode active aero system that uses fans and deployable skirts to generate controllable downforce.

A radical new patent from Tesla has provided a potential hint at a technology that the electric vehicle maker can utilize to meet the new Roadster’s ambitious 0-60 mph targets. If the technology outlined in the patent does come into fruition, it could help the Roadster stay planted on the ground even as it executes extremely rapid and demanding driving maneuvers.
The Roadster’s 0-60 mph time
When the new Roadster was announced way back in late 2017, Elon Musk stated that the upcoming vehicle would have a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds. This was impressive, but the new Roadster has become so late that this metric is no longer industry-leading. Even Tesla’s own Model S Plaid, a large and heavy family sedan, can now hit a 0-60 mph time in 1.99 seconds, all for a price that starts just under $100,000.
Back in February 2024, Elon Musk stated that Tesla “radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster.” He stated that there will never be another car like the Roadster, if it could even be called a car. Musk also added that Tesla is now looking to achieve a 0-60 mph time in less than one second with the new Roadster, though this would be the “least interesting part” of the vehicle.
Inasmuch as a 0-60 mph time of 1 second or less sounds insane, these figures are achieved by vehicles like top fuel dragsters, which could accelerate well under 1 second. Of course, these vehicles are specialized machines and not road legal by any means, so the Roadster would still be in a class of its own if Tesla does manage to achieve a sub-1-second 0-60 mph time.
Tesla’s new aero patent
A new patent from Tesla has now outlined a technology that could be a perfect fit for the upcoming all-electric supercar. Tesla’s patent is for a multi-mode active aero system that uses fans and deployable skirts to generate controllable downforce. This should pave the way for optimal vehicle grip and performance across varying conditions, from the track to the drag strip.
Tesla describes the patent’s technology as follows:
“The system operates by creating bounded (e.g., sealed or partially-sealed) regions beneath the vehicle through the selective deployment of skirts that interact with the ground surface. Fans positioned in airflow pathways that extend to these bounded regions generate low pressure within these areas by extracting air, creating downforce that enhances vehicle grip and stability (e.g., by creating a vacuum, or partial vacuum in the bounded regions).”
If Tesla could indeed create a fully bounded region under the new Roadster using the technology outlined in the patent, the company could all ensure that the all-electric supercar always has perfect traction when it launches. It could also help the vehicle handle better in corners, which would be useful if the Roadster were to attempt setting records in tracks such as the Nurburgring.
Check out Tesla’s patent below.
Tesla Roadster Patent by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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